A quick look into Wesley Higgins’ office reveals he’s an “AFOL” – an “Adult Fan Of LEGO.”

(Photo: The Birmingham News / Mark Almond)

On display is Higgins’ 3-foot replica of the Alabama Power 1925 Building, which contains more than 6,000 molded LEGO® pieces. Higgins, a confessed lifelong fan of the continually popular building blocks, works in the old Corporate Headquarters wing of the Customer Service Center. He spent about six months designing and assembling the LEGO version of the Art Deco-style building.

As a child, Higgins remembers being fascinated by the building. “I grew up in the Birmingham area and have always loved the Alabama Power building – I always enjoyed the old architecture,” said the Technology analyst, who has worked at Alabama Power 18 years. A second-generation employee, he well remembers his family’s visits to the downtown office to see his father, Tom Higgins, principal engineer, SCS.

To ensure his creation was true to the original, Higgins studied building diagrams and 1920s-era photos provided by Bill Tharpe, archivist for Corporate Archives. “I used older LEGO bricks with varying color schemes to resemble the concrete on the building,” Higgins said.

The model combines numerous LEGO elements, including clear, plastic pieces called panels in place of the building’s 192 windows. The piece incorporates bricks, as well as round and square-shape pieces with a series of disks. Colored cones mimic the weathered, green copper filigree on the building’s roofline. The replica is complete with a chrome gold “minifig” – representing the Electra statue perched on the roof, which was released in 2009 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the LEGO minifig. Adding another touch of realism, Higgins built several Model T cars and 1920’s era vehicles from LEGO parts and placed them next to the building.

Alabama Power employee Wesley Higgins

An aficionado since he was eight, Higgins still has his first LEGO set, which was a Christmas gift. He said LEGO products furnish a spark of creativity and a sense of accomplishment that today’s video games don’t offer. Owing to its enduring popularity, Higgins said there are 62 LEGO bricks for every person on Earth.

Higgins’ young sons, ages 13, 12, 12 and 9, are among the new generation of LEGO lovers. “They have tons of LEGO sets, and really like the Star Wars and Indiana Jones lines,” he said. The children enjoyed seeing the building grow. “I usually worked on it at night after they’d gone to bed,” Higgins said. “Every morning they’d wake up and see how the building had changed.”

“Working with LEGO is a very relaxing hobby,” Higgins said. “My family and I enjoy building together.”

Higgins’ model of the Alabama Theater

Walking toward the LEGO Alabama Theater