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buildnshare's avatar
buildnshare
Seasoned Ace
7 months ago

Build-n-Share #189 **Icy Connections** Due 28th February 2025

 

Welcome to BNS 189: Icy Connections

You are sitting in the park on a bench, sipping a soda, and watching the children play on the swings and the merry-go-round. Every once in a while, you take a look around, wondering where your new client is. She is very late, nearly a whole hour. But since it is a lovely Friday, you are just mildly concerned and not at all angry about the wasted time. Just as you are thinking of leaving, a young lady plops down on the bench beside you.

"Wow! I am truly sorry," she begins. "Work kept me late. My fast food job. One of three jobs, and I also am taking college courses online as well. Please forgive me." She tries to smile, but you can see she is exhausted.

"You must be Whitney Krauss," you say, smiling back. "I remember your email mentioned a duplex..."

Whitney lets out a big sigh. "Yes. My wonderful uncle on my mom's side passed away last August, and the will was finally just settled. He left me all his money because he didn't have kids of his own. Honestly, it doesn't make me rich or anything. But if it wasn't for two cousins on my dad's side, I could have dropped a job and taken on more classes. But when the Krauss brothers, from Germany no less, heard I inherited money, they decided to move in with me. Me! I have never even met them!" She shakes her head dismally. "When I asked my dad what they were like, he could only say that they followed soccer religiously and drank beer." She turns to look at you. "I had a decent apartment, but it was only a studio, and I certainly don't want to share it with boys. I know it sounds kinda selfish, but I did grow up as an only child. Anyway, my parents recommended I use the inheritance and buy a duplex. That way, I have one side; the cousins have the other side and can pay me rent. I don't mean to take my frustrations out on you, but I do need help badly!"

"Have you already purchased a duplex?" you ask, secretly guessing Whitney hasn't had the time to find one.

"I have looked at a few, but they were very old and had rotting floors and things," Whitney confides to you. "I just could not bring myself to purchase something that looked more like it needed to be torn down than lived in. Maybe you could suggest a property?"

You nod and give her an encouraging smile. "I recently purchased a modest lot for a couple who were going to build their dream home. Unfortunately, they got orders to move to a different area of the country before they could even build- there was some mix-up in the military records office. He had put in for retirement, but somehow it turned out to be re-enlistment paperwork. I have no idea what happened there. The point is, I do have a lot I can sell you for the price I purchased it for, and then I can build a duplex there for you! That way it is brand new and something you will really like!"

Whitney suddenly perks up. "That would be absolutely awesome! I have been dreading repair bills already, but new things will take longer before they need repairs. This is great!"

You get down to business. "How many bedrooms for each side of the duplex? Any ideas about colors? Any must haves on your side? And how much money do we have in the budget?"

"Well, the budget is easy: $275,000 is the amount I inherited, but I already bought a more reliable car and new laptop with some of it. I think I have about $263,000 left. Will that be enough?" Whitney is obviously over her head, and she is starting to look anxious again.

"I think I'll give you a little advice then," you interject. "You don't have to take it. But I would suggest you hold back some of the money as an emergency fund, in case the car needs to be fixed or you lose a job or something. It is good to be prepared for emergencies. I think we can build you a very nice duplex for, say, $240,000. How does that sound?"

"Terrific!" Whitney's face lights up again. "That is very good advice, and I had not thought about those things before. That does make sense. Okay, so each side would be two beds and one bath, and a kitchen and living room... That is mainly what you do get in an apartment. Mom had said to me that two bedrooms rent better than a one bedroom duplex. And colors, hmmm...neutral on their side because I don't know what they like. I want my bedroom as far away from their side, because I am a very light sleeper. My favorite colors are pink and yellow and purple. So any of those or any combination will suit me just fine." She pauses. "They will actually be here at the beginning of next month. How long does it take to build a duplex?"

You assure her that you can have it done by the end of the month. She shares her happiness at picking you as the architect to come to, etc, until she happens to glance at her watch. "Oh my! I am sorry but i have to dash! My next job starts in twenty minutes, and I still have to grab my clothes and shoes for it. Thanks again!"

You wave as she dashes off, and check your notes to make sure you got everything down. You also muse at how very lucky you are not have to hold down three jobs to make ends meet!

The Brief:

The budget is $240,000 (including the price of the lot you choose). Each side of the duplex must have 2 bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen and living room.
One side should be neutral colors; the other side can have pinks, yellows, and/or purples.
Don't forget to landscape!
Note: For Rent is not  required for this challenge, but if you have it, you can  make the duplex a residential  rental. 

The Room Challenge:
$30,000 budget.
Create Whitney's bedroom using some of her favorite colors.

The Sims Challenge:
Create Whitney Krauss and her two male Krauss cousins from Germany.
share their traits, likes, dislikes, and their clothing choices
show the three living in their duplex.

Remember to include the hashtag #bns189 with your build so it can be found. Entries are due by Friday, February 28, 2025, 23:5:59 New York Time/EST


BUILD OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM
CHALLENGE #188: Winter Designer Showdown
FORUM ID:
ORIGIN ID:
NEW LOT LINK:
LOT COST:
GALLERY COST:
TOTAL COST: (Lot cost plus gallery cost)
LINK TO ENTRY SLIDESHOW:
ENTRY DETAILS: (Tell us about your lot.)
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
CREDIT FOR CC/RECOLORS:
SPACE FOR PICTURES:(No more than 2 please)
Facebook: (optional, makes it easier to tag you.)
Twitter: (Optional, makes it easier to tag you.)

SIM ENTRY FORM
CHALLENGE #187 - A Chalet Retreat
FORUM ID:
ORIGIN ID:
LEVEL: (Starting Out, Established, Expert or Master. If this is your first entry, leave blank and the judges will decide where to put you.
HOUSEHOLD:
LINK TO ENTRY SLIDESHOW
ENTRY DETAILS:
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
CREDIT FOR CC/RECOLORS:
SPACE FOR PICTURES: (No more than 2 please)
Facebook: (optional, makes it easier to tag you.)
Twitter: (Optional, makes it easier to tag you.)


ROOM ENTRY FORM
CHALLENGE #187 - A Chalet Retreat
FORUM ID:
ORIGIN ID:
LEVEL: (Starting Out, Established, Expert or Master. If this is your first entry, leave blank and the judges will decide where to put you.
ROOM: (Link to where the room can be found on The Gallery)
GALLERY COST:
LINK TO ENTRY SLIDESHOW:
ENTRY DETAILS:
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM:
CREDIT FOR CC/RECOLORS:
SPACE FOR PICTURES:

 

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  • buildnshare's avatar
    buildnshare
    Seasoned Ace
    7 months ago

     

     

    The Build-n-Share challenges will be posted at the start of each month and will run until the end of that month. Results will be posted in the Winner's Circle thread. Look for results after the deadline.

    And you can keep up to date with challenge details and winners on our social media:

     

     

    All entries must provide a media showcase for BuildnShare to use when judging your entries. We feel that it is unfair to expect our judges to have every SP, GP and EP in order to judge from a download. Please ensure that any features you wish the judges to see are shown in your media showcase. your media showcase should consist of still images of your build and be uploaded to an image hosting website such as picasa, imgur, a blog or even a thread here on the forums. If you choose to use flickr, make sure your slideshow is public viewable. Please note that we will not judge any entry hosted on Photobucket, tinypics. bannersnack, or post image.

    • Please ensure that you check that your links work. Any link found to be not working will result in your entry not being judged.
    • All entries must be original and previously unpublished work. Avoid using "styled looks" from Sims 4, or any Sim, challenge or room that you have already uplaoded and showcased. Any competitor who submits another builder’s work will be disqualified and banned from any future Build-n-Share challenge.
    • Using 'low value/high quality' CC is a no-no (beds and sofas that cost $1, etc.).
    • You can use the bb.moveobjects on and bb.showhiddenobjects game cheats without penalty.
    • You can use harvestable plants and custom photos and / or paintings (either created by you or downloaded from the Gallery) without penalty. [These items add to the decor of your build but don't add to the Gallery cost - they're essentially "freebies" like many items from the Debug catalog!]
    • The cost of the lot that you are building on in is ALWAYS to be included in your total cost unless it is expressly stated otherwise.
    • You must upload your entry to the gallery for it to count as an official entry, this is due it being the only way that judges can confirm the Gallery cost of your builds.
    • To find your Gallery cost, you need to follow these instructions:
    • Your gallery build description must include the relevant challenge hashtag, this way, we can let you know should your build be favourited by Maxis!
    • By entering, you agree to allow your lot to be showcased on any of the BuildnShare social media outlets.
    • Please announce your official lot posting using the entry form below. Make sure to leave the "Official Entry" label notable. If you need to reformat it, you can do this by highlighting the desired text and then selecting "B" in the options above. This will help us see the entries in a sea of posts with no pics to guide us.
    • Entries must be submitted by the deadline, no later than 23:59:59 on the last day of the month (EST/New York, USA).
    • Your media should include a variety of screenshots to best showcase your entry. Please include at least one clear shot of the main floorplan of the build. If your build has multiple floors, please take a screenshot of each floor. Your media must be in the format of a slideshow, no videos, please. We have a guide to what we look for in a showcase here.
    • We will not judge any entry hosted on Photobucket, tinypics, bannersnack or post image.
    • Season's Update - Ensure that the majority of your exterior pictures are taken in Summer so that the judges can accurately judge your landscaping. You are also free to show pictures of your builds in different seasons as well, but that these should be clearly labelled with the season. To change the season you can use this cheat (first as with all cheats you must bring up the console using "CTRL + Shift + C" then type in the box that appears "testingcheats true" If it worked, the phrase "Cheats Enabled" should appear below the console. Next type "seasons.set_season X" - change X to 0 for summer, 1 for fall, 2 for winter, or 3 for spring.
    • All new members please enter your links as needed, but if you pop a space in like this h ttps: it will not register as a live link, this will allow us to easily make your links live.
    • Another aside for new members these are a couple of threads that will help you get up to full membership: @Rosemow’s Introduce Yourself Thread and Member vs New Member Thread.

     



    In all categories, we put an equal value on landscaping, aesthetics, architecture and interior design, with a nod toward playability.

    If you are new to BuildnShare, we recommend that you leave your entry category empty this way the BnS team can take a look at your entry and place you in a category appropriate to your skills.

    Starting Out - if you are new to building in TS4, this is where you should enter. Things we look for at this level are appropriate room sizes, cohesive exterior style, use of plants that reflect the style of the build and complimentary colours. Pictures should be well organize and provide a complete overview of the build.

    Established - we recommend entering at this level if you have been promoted from Starting Out. Things looked for over and above Starting Out are, thought as to how the build will ultimately play, good roof lines, use of terrain paints, cohesive interiors and good object choice and placement. Pictures should be well organised, well lit and labelled.

    Expert - we recommend entering at this level if you have been promoted from Established. Things we look for at this level, over and above Established are interesting architecture, thought given to interior and exterior decorative details, creation of livable outdoor spaces. Pictures should have good angles, making good use of camera control options.

    Master - Expert category judges and any entrants who have won 1st Place multiple times at the Expert level should enter in this category.

    A note of caution, just because you have used something mentioned in a category, does not necessarily mean that you automatically fit in that category. If you are unsure, please tag us and ask for our advice as to where we would place you. Also, we do not advise that you bump yourself up in levels, especially if you are new and we have placed you in a category. We will always promote when we feel you are ready and have no more left to learn in your current category.

  • buildnshare's avatar
    buildnshare
    Seasoned Ace
    7 months ago

     

     

     

    The benefits
    First place will be awarded at all levels. If there are at least eight entries in a category, up to four places will also be announced. Challenges also create an opportunity for community on the forum site. We get to know one another's names, share news, builds, and positive words. This is a chance to get your name out there, and hopefully make a few friends along the way.

    What makes this challenge different from all the other ones I've seen?
    We have been hosting this challenge since the first week the game was released. We have many levels of builders in our community and welcome them all. This group is truly a product of all its great members!

    Within the first few challenges, our group was recognized by the gurus that be, who have helped the weekly challenges gain even more popularity be stickying both BuildnShare threads. Since then, we have had at least one featured creation almost every week, and our list of featured members continues to grow.

    With 7 successful collaborative neighborhoods (Gnomelandia, Summer of Love, NYC, Sanshi Sumei, Olde Fairy Tale Village, Whimsyville Winter Market and Village) completed, BuildnShare hopes to bring more creative challenges and new neighborhood ideas to the community with the help of our dedicated participants who willingly contribute and help each week to make sure each challenge runs smoothly.



    Big thanks to @masajo for keeping this up to date!

    Looking for more challenges? Check out the  Build Challenges thread created by @rosemow



     

     

     



     



    @Masajo - Admin, TS4 judge, Entry Organizer and Archivist
    @KittKat7147 - On hiatus
    @SimTresa - TS4 Judge, Challenge Creator & Challenge Organizer
    @SheriGR - TS4 Judge, Chief Organizer & Fearless Facebooker
    @AliSim19 - On hiatus
    @Allears - TS4 Judge, Image Wrangler & Thread Guru
    @JojoMOMSTER - Hawthorne Project Organizer
    @Clousinators - TS4 Judge
    @_Princess_Natasha_ - TS4 Judge
    @pammiechick - TS4 Judge

    Screenshots: Tips and Tricks

    1. Judging is based solely on the screenshots you provide in your showcase, so, we figured this would be a good time to go over some tips and tricks in taking good screenshots to help showcase your lovely builds.
    2. Camera Man Mode - This is a must in taking good shots! You will have to be in live mode to do this, but just hit "TAB" to enter this mode. Once you are in this mode, you can use the mouse to freely control the angles and use "W, A, S, D" buttons to move forward, backwards, and side to side. "Z" zooms in, "X" zooms out. "Q" moves up and "E" moves down. "C" to capture the shot.
    3. Find the perfect angle - With photography, it is all about finding the right angle. Spend some time in camera man mode to find the perfect angle. Get down to a sim's point of view to take the best shots of rooms.
    4. Walls up - Most people play with walls cut away, but when you are taking pictures of your lot, try to keep your walls up to make your shots look more realistic.
    5. No grids - Unless you need to show the grid for a specific purpose, make sure no build/buy grid is visible when you take your pictures. You can avoid this by taking pictures in live mode or by hitting 'G' button in build mode.
    6. More is better—Weird, huh? But in this case, we want to make sure judges have enough shots to fairly judge your lot. Be sure to show off each room with at least one picture. Also, please include an overhead shot of the floorplan for each level.
    7. Ensure that the majority of your exterior pictures are taken in Summer so that the judges can accurately judge your landscaping. You are also free to show pictures of your builds in different seasons as well, but that these should be clearly labelled with the season.
    8. To change the season, you can use this cheat (first as with all cheats you must bring up the console using "CTRL + Shift + C" then type in the box that appears "testingcheats true" If it worked, the phrase "Cheats Enabled" should appear below the console. Next type "seasons.set_season X" - change X to 0 for summer, 1 for fall, 2 for winter, or 3 for spring.


    Ok, those are the basics! If you want to further your simatography skills, we highly recommend you take a look at our showcase guide here.

    Please try to keep this thread as photo free as possible and create a showcase to illustrate your lots.

  • rosemow's avatar
    rosemow
    Hero
    7 months ago

    Congratulations on your 10th anniversary! 🙂 I am sure that many simmers will also enjoy doing your build challenges on this new forums also. 

  • coolsim9999999's avatar
    coolsim9999999
    Legend
    7 months ago

    Congratulations on your 10th anniversary buildnshare 😎! The August challenge looks great! I'm excited to build for this challenge again as soon as my computer is fixed! 

  • mandacaju's avatar
    mandacaju
    New Hotshot
    6 months ago

    Thank you! I'm so excited to have the challenges back! I mostly only used the old forums because of them and the announcements. Hope I learn to use the new one too 🙏

  • AlJay2000's avatar
    AlJay2000
    Seasoned Ace
    6 months ago

    BUILD OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM
    CHALLENGE #183 - Retro Revival
    FORUM ID: AlJay2000
    ORIGIN ID: AlJay2000
    LEVEL: Master
    NEW LOT LINK: 2024 Memory Lane
    LOT COST: Midtown Meadows in Newcrest $1000
    GALLERY COST: $202, 667.00
    TOTAL COST: $203,667.00
    LINK TO ENTRY SLIDESHOW: BnS #183 - Retro Revival 
    ENTRY DETAILS:     I never played The Sims 3 online so my story begins with my very first upload to The Sims 4 Gallery with a Contemporary Bungalow The house filled the lot with hardly any space to landscape and I actually uploaded it in utter darkness, lol! With the newly renovated home I have increased the lot size and added a basement as well. I changed the grey decor that was popular at the time to more of a beige tone and added as many extras as I could, given the generous budget.  I chose to feature 10 highlights in my build that The Sims 4 has added to the game over the years. 1. Ponds 2. Terrain Elevation 3. ShowLiveEditObjects 4. Platforms 5. Curved Pools 6. Base game Nursery Items 7. Bunkbeds 8. Stairs with landings 9. Log In Rewards and 10. The Music Festival. I also featured 10 items in the kitchen highlighting The Sims 4 Birthday Items. I felt the Birthday event items were appropriate, given that we are celebrating 10 years of Build and Share's challenges.
    CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM:     Yes please!
    CREDIT FOR CC/RECOLORS:     none
    SPACE FOR PICTURES:

    The Original 

    Newly Upgraded

  • ManicPot8to's avatar
    ManicPot8to
    Seasoned Veteran
    6 months ago

    BUILD OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM
    CHALLENGE #183 - Retro Revival
    FORUM ID:ManicPot8to
    ORIGIN ID:ManicPot8to
    LEVEL:  Established
    NEW LOT LINK:Cedar Cottage Revamp
    LOT COST:8000
    GALLERY COST:117,286
    TOTAL COST: 125,286
    LINK TO ENTRY SLIDESHOW:https://imgur.com/a/iRHBUot
    ENTRY DETAILS: 

    The original lot was Constructed in 2018. This lot is a perfect countryside home and looks much better in Henford-on-Bagley than in Brindleton, where I first constructed it. The revamped lot features lush landscaping and uses free window placements that weren't available when the lot was first built. Cows were just a dream back then and horses! I was able to turn the garage into a functional stable. Platforms became a game-changer. Finally, I could create a proper sunken living enhancing its charm. Plus unlike the original, this home is fully furnished.

    CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM sure.

    SPACE FOR PICTURES:

    Original:

    Revamp: 


    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ManicPot8to
    Twitter: ManicPot8to

  • alphaffrog's avatar
    alphaffrog
    Seasoned Ace
    6 months ago

    CHALLENGE #183 - Retro Revival – Happy Birthday! 🎉
    FORUM ID: AlphaFFrog
    ORIGIN ID: AlphaFFrog
    LEVEL:
    NEW LOT LINK: All Hallows
    LOT COST: 4 Olde Mill Lane - 1,800
    GALLERY COST: 115,026
    TOTAL COST: 116,826
    LINK TO ENTRY SLIDESHOW: All Hallows: A Resurrection
    ENTRY DETAILS:     In Sims 3 I made a Reno Challenge for one of ADWilson's wonderful building Gift Exchanges called All Hallows: Not Quite A Runaway Success about Clara, a free spirited teen who ran away to live an abandoned church where a prim and proper ghost Ada resided. I loved all the stories people made with the church and its inhabitants, so I’ve remade the All Hallows building with Sims 4 with 10 large church windows, and instead of it being run down it’s as full of life as those stories were
    CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM:     Yes, please
    CREDIT FOR CC/RECOLORS:     N/a
    SPACE FOR PICTURES: 

    All Hallows in Sims 3 with a sim helpfully blocking the shot

    All Hallows Resurrected in Sims 4

     

  • LaunchSneezes's avatar
    LaunchSneezes
    Seasoned Ace
    6 months ago

    I edited this because I noticed that others were putting before and after pictures, and also I created an album for the slideshow instead of just linking to my general profile.

    BUILD OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM
    CHALLENGE #183 - Retro Revival
    FORUM ID: LaunchSneezes
    ORIGIN ID: LaunchSneezes
    LEVEL:  Starting out, I think? I don't remember.
    NEW LOT LINK: https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/pc/gallery/70793B10A3BA4CA8A894A4B1FFA245E4
    LOT COST: I am honestly not sure but it does not take it above the 250k mark. Pretty tired today.
    GALLERY COST: $131,569
    TOTAL COST: (Lot cost plus gallery cost) ?
    LINK TO ENTRY SLIDESHOW:  https://ibb.co/album/WkjMY7
    ENTRY DETAILS: (Tell us about your lot.) A family home for a couple and four toddlers, situated on a beautiful lot in Sulani. Did you know that Baker-Miller pink is well known to be the most calming color and is used to reduce anxiety and aggression? :) (The house has a lot of pink, as it is a calming color for me.)
    CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM Yes, but be gentle
    CREDIT FOR CC/RECOLORS: no CC or recolors
    SPACE FOR PICTURES:(No more than 2 please)

    Original:

    New:

    Facebook: (optional, makes it easier to tag you.) none
    Twitter: (Optional, makes it easier to tag you.) none

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