Mansion Lime — hero shot
Level Design // CS:GO // Source Engine

Mansion
Lime

A modern architectural reimagining of cs_mansion — the 1999 Counter-Strike classic by Magnus Lind — rebuilt in CS:GO with a focus on brutalist form, tactical readability, and museum-inspired presentation.

Status

Deployed — Live on Workshop

The Remake

Log 01 // Context

The original cs_mansion was a masterclass in simplicity — a small hostage rescue scenario packed with memorable corners, but plagued by visual clutter and ambiguous sightlines. This remake strips the identity down to its structural core and rebuilds it with intention.

Core Objective

"Transform a chaotic 1999 hostage scenario into a surgical environment where readability is paramount — and every shadow serves a tactical purpose."

Classic cs_mansion in Counter-Strike 1.6

cs_mansion — Counter-Strike 1.6, 1999

Mansion Lime in CS:GO

Mansion Lime — CS:GO Remake

architecture

Structural Clarity

Prop-noise removed in favor of clean geometry. Player silhouettes remain distinct at every range and engagement distance.

visibility

Lighting Directives

Cool-white navigation lighting. Lime accents reserved for objective interaction points and memorable architectural landmarks.

Design Philosophy

Principles // Execution // Theory

Mansion Lime overview — combat layout
System 01

Readable Combat

Every corner is designed so character models never clip into or blend with architecture. Clear geometry over decorative clutter.

Brutalist Simplicity

Navigation through subtractive geometry. Shape language over signage. The architecture tells the player where to go.

90° ANGLE square

Museum Frame

Each room treated as an exhibit. The map hosts a CS:GO trophy exhibition. Players are both the viewers and the subjects.

Engine Source / CS:GO
Mode Hostage Rescue
Accent #ccc600 Lime
Theme Exhibition Hall

Process & Tooling

Five tools working in sequence to build a level that is architecturally precise, materially authored, and atmospherically complete.

Source Engine Pipeline

Tool 01

Hammer

Level Assembly & BSP

Tool 02

3ds Max

Hard Surface + WorldWorm

Tool 03

Houdini

Non-BSP Geometry

Tool 04

VMT Editor

Material Authoring

Tool 05

Terragen 4

Skybox Synthesis

Valve Hammer Editor

Hammer — BSP Level Construction

3ds Max + WorldWorm

3ds Max + WorldWorm — Asset Export

Houdini

Houdini — Procedural Non-BSP Geo

VMT Editor

VMT Editor — Material Shaders

Terragen 4 Skybox

Terragen 4 — Six-Sided Skybox

Environment Showcase

Area Highlights // Map Identity // Lime Palette

Lime and gray palette

Identity // Palette

Gray + Lime

The classic Mansion vibe is cloudy and gray — deliberately cold and institutional. Into that neutrality a single lime accent #ccc600 is introduced as a contrast device: readable, memorable, and signature without overwhelming the space.

Catalyzed with neon lighting, the gray-lime combination creates an ambiance that is simple, legible, and non-fatiguing across long sessions — exactly what competitive FPS environments demand.

Neon and lime accents

Gray + lime + neon — architectural ambiance

2nd Floor — Kitchen

Section 01 // 2F Kitchen

Upper Kitchen

The second-floor kitchen strips away the messy residential clutter of the original. Clean surfaces and deliberate lighting make player movement readable at every angle. Cover density is intentionally low — this space rewards quick decisions over camped positions.

Clean Sightlines Cover Density: Low

Section 02 // 2F Office

Middle Office

A high-ceilinged brutalist office where light and shadow require precision. The geometry was iterated extensively to prevent inaccurate wall shadows from creating false read angles — player silhouettes must remain unambiguous at all distances.

Multi-Angle Engagement Iterated Lighting
2nd Floor — Middle Office
Sewers

Section 03 // Sewers

Lime Conduit

The classic flanking route. Gone are the brown industrial pipes of the 1999 original. In their place — a utility tunnel that leans into the museum's underbelly aesthetic. The lime accent appears here as a structural guide rather than decoration, signaling the route and pace of the flank.

Flanking Route Atmospheric Fog

Section 04 // Exhibition Hall

Trophy Exhibition

Museum trophy exhibition theme
First floor expo area

Mansion Lime as a museum hosting a CS:GO trophies exhibition — 1st floor expo area

Radar // Map Layout

Radar map — 2nd floor layout

In-game radar — 2nd floor layout

Tactical Walkthrough

Realtime Gameplay Capture

Mansion Lime — gameplay capture

Deploy Now

Download and play Mansion Lime in its native environment — available on Steam Workshop and via direct install.