Build Iconic Inc. specializes in kitchen renovations for Brooklyn’s historic homes — brownstones, pre-war buildings, and landmarked properties where getting it right means respecting the original character while bringing the space fully up to modern standards. As a licensed NYC general contractor (DCA #2107844), we understand the unique challenges of working within older structures: uneven floors, outdated wiring, plaster walls, and, in some cases, Landmarks Preservation Commission requirements. We blend historical sensitivity with modern function, preserving original details like moldings, exposed brick, and period-appropriate finishes while updating the kitchen for how people actually cook and live today. Our historical kitchen remodeling includes: • Structural and layout updates that respect original building bones • Electrical and plumbing upgrades brought fully up to current code • Custom cabinetry and finishes that complement a home’s original era and style • Careful integration of modern appliances and smart home technology without disrupting historic character • Coordination with Landmarks requirements where applicable

This piece was commissioned for an outdoor location, a large and extensively landscaped property with abundant and varied plant life. It was our challenge to design a piece that not only fit this remarkable environment, but also echoed and complemented it. The actual installation was to be placed inside an existing fire pit, ringed with stone, thereby tying the piece to the other stone and boulder shapes around it. Taking shapes from the cactus garden and trees around the site, as well as colors from the flowering plants visible nearby, we designed a spiral structure that could be seen from any vantage point on the property, inside or out. The design provides a completely different look from every angle. Simply moving around the piece, even slightly, changes perspectives in such a way that the very character of the piece changes. The design of the ceramic pieces suggests movement even more with their finlike shapes cutting through the air around them. Even the spiral structure imbues the piece with a rising, turning energy as the eye traces the relationships of the forms up and around. Photo by Michael Linsley

This piece was commissioned for an outdoor location, a large and extensively landscaped property with abundant and varied plant life. It was our challenge to design a piece that not only fit this remarkable environment, but also echoed and complemented it. The actual installation was to be placed inside an existing fire pit, ringed with stone, thereby tying the piece to the other stone and boulder shapes around it. Taking shapes from the cactus garden and trees around the site, as well as colors from the flowering plants visible nearby, we designed a spiral structure that could be seen from any vantage point on the property, inside or out. The design provides a completely different look from every angle. Simply moving around the piece, even slightly, changes perspectives in such a way that the very character of the piece changes. The design of the ceramic pieces suggests movement even more with their finlike shapes cutting through the air around them. Even the spiral structure imbues the piece with a rising, turning energy as the eye traces the relationships of the forms up and around. Photo by Michael Linsley

The guitar was built by artist Daryll Reddy. Structure of the guitar is wood and cement board. Picture is Deidra Smith the artist of the 12 foot mosaic guitar.

Build Iconic Inc. specializes in kitchen renovations for Brooklyn’s historic homes — brownstones, pre-war buildings, and landmarked properties where getting it right means respecting the original character while bringing the space fully up to modern standards. As a licensed NYC general contractor (DCA #2107844), we understand the unique challenges of working within older structures: uneven floors, outdated wiring, plaster walls, and, in some cases, Landmarks Preservation Commission requirements. We blend historical sensitivity with modern function, preserving original details like moldings, exposed brick, and period-appropriate finishes while updating the kitchen for how people actually cook and live today. Our historical kitchen remodeling includes: • Structural and layout updates that respect original building bones • Electrical and plumbing upgrades brought fully up to current code • Custom cabinetry and finishes that complement a home’s original era and style • Careful integration of modern appliances and smart home technology without disrupting historic character • Coordination with Landmarks requirements where applicable

This client of ours loves to entertain. We were commissioned to completely redesign his backyard space to include a Pavilion, an outdoor kitchen, and a fire pit area. Preparation for this work included demolishing existing deteriorated concrete and a non-functioning Koi pond. We decided on a 12′ x 14′ layout for the Cedar Pavilion. Sconce lighting, infrared heating, and a ceiling fan were added to the scope of the Pavilion project to maximize the space’s usability. For the outdoor kitchen, we chose a 38″ Delta Heat unit for the grill with matching access doors, a 20K BTU Hestan Side Burner, and a Hestan Refrigerator. We chose soapstone for the countertop and backsplash, and we veneered the kitchen structure with natural San Miguel cobblestone. The construction of the fire pit area required engineering measures to prevent damage to the nearby pine trees’ root systems from the planned improvements. This was accomplished by designing a sophisticated ventilation system installed under the patio and seat wall to allow the tree roots to continue breathing. The firepit and surrounding seat wall were constructed of CMU block and veneered with natural San Miguel stone from Telluride. Light fixtures from Unique Lighting were discreetly tucked under the seat wall cap to enhance the area’s nighttime ambiance. Large decorative mossback landscape boulders were imported to create visual interest in the setting. The plant selection for the project included ‘Panchito’ Manzanita, Dwarf Burning Bush, ‘Isanti’ Dogwood, ‘White Bud’ Mugo Pine, Japanese Astilbe, ‘Blue Giant’ Hosta, and Variegated Iris.

Build Iconic Inc. specializes in kitchen renovations for Brooklyn’s historic homes — brownstones, pre-war buildings, and landmarked properties where getting it right means respecting the original character while bringing the space fully up to modern standards. As a licensed NYC general contractor (DCA #2107844), we understand the unique challenges of working within older structures: uneven floors, outdated wiring, plaster walls, and, in some cases, Landmarks Preservation Commission requirements. We blend historical sensitivity with modern function, preserving original details like moldings, exposed brick, and period-appropriate finishes while updating the kitchen for how people actually cook and live today. Our historical kitchen remodeling includes: • Structural and layout updates that respect original building bones • Electrical and plumbing upgrades brought fully up to current code • Custom cabinetry and finishes that complement a home’s original era and style • Careful integration of modern appliances and smart home technology without disrupting historic character • Coordination with Landmarks requirements where applicable

Believed to be the oldest building in Excelsior Minnesota, this humble brick structure has transformed, been moved, and housed countless people over its 162 years. Affectionately known as ‘The Beehive’, it was built in 1857 and began as the original Excelsior schoolhouse. It was moved to its’ current location in the 1880’s and became a 23-room dormitory for Northwestern Christian College, followed by a boarding house, and finally apartments (in addition to the rumors of more sordid activities in the early 20th century!). After being in the same family for several decades, the owner wanted to transform the building one more time to make it her own home. Citydeskstudio worked closely with her and the Excelsior Historic Preservation Commission on the design. She now occupies the main floor, with additional units above and below for rental and for family. The design celebrates the stout and blocky character of the building with a new modern expansion off the back. There, the building steps and expands outwards in glassy boxes of charred cedar. Inside, the original structure was repaired and uncovered where possible, and previous poorly done modifications were corrected. The center piece of this more open and light-filled home is a rich modern kitchen in walnut, travertine, and steel. The old character remains ever present and is essential to the spirit of The Beehive’s latest transformation. This multigenerational home’s design honors the legacy of the property, marrying the original Excelsior schoolhouse with a beautiful, modern, contextually-sensitive remodel and addition. Project Team: Ben Awes, AIA, Principal-In-Charge Chris Bach Nate Dodge

Build Iconic Inc. specializes in kitchen renovations for Brooklyn’s historic homes — brownstones, pre-war buildings, and landmarked properties where getting it right means respecting the original character while bringing the space fully up to modern standards. As a licensed NYC general contractor (DCA #2107844), we understand the unique challenges of working within older structures: uneven floors, outdated wiring, plaster walls, and, in some cases, Landmarks Preservation Commission requirements. We blend historical sensitivity with modern function, preserving original details like moldings, exposed brick, and period-appropriate finishes while updating the kitchen for how people actually cook and live today. Our historical kitchen remodeling includes: • Structural and layout updates that respect original building bones • Electrical and plumbing upgrades brought fully up to current code • Custom cabinetry and finishes that complement a home’s original era and style • Careful integration of modern appliances and smart home technology without disrupting historic character • Coordination with Landmarks requirements where applicable

This client of ours loves to entertain. We were commissioned to completely redesign his backyard space to include a Pavilion, an outdoor kitchen, and a fire pit area. Preparation for this work included demolishing existing deteriorated concrete and a non-functioning Koi pond. We decided on a 12′ x 14′ layout for the Cedar Pavilion. Sconce lighting, infrared heating, and a ceiling fan were added to the scope of the Pavilion project to maximize the space’s usability. For the outdoor kitchen, we chose a 38″ Delta Heat unit for the grill with matching access doors, a 20K BTU Hestan Side Burner, and a Hestan Refrigerator. We chose soapstone for the countertop and backsplash, and we veneered the kitchen structure with natural San Miguel cobblestone. The construction of the fire pit area required engineering measures to prevent damage to the nearby pine trees’ root systems from the planned improvements. This was accomplished by designing a sophisticated ventilation system installed under the patio and seat wall to allow the tree roots to continue breathing. The firepit and surrounding seat wall were constructed of CMU block and veneered with natural San Miguel stone from Telluride. Light fixtures from Unique Lighting were discreetly tucked under the seat wall cap to enhance the area’s nighttime ambiance. Large decorative mossback landscape boulders were imported to create visual interest in the setting. The plant selection for the project included ‘Panchito’ Manzanita, Dwarf Burning Bush, ‘Isanti’ Dogwood, ‘White Bud’ Mugo Pine, Japanese Astilbe, ‘Blue Giant’ Hosta, and Variegated Iris.

LOS ANGELES, CA / SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL The commission for this 4,300-square-foot residence came with significant challenges for the architects – a house had once existed on the lot but had burned down and the attempt to replace the house had stalled, leading to an abatement order and a lapse of permits. Our first challenge was to revive the lapsed construction permit by proposing to “modify” the existing structure. The practical effect this had was to fix the footprint of the new home to the existing structure’s plan outline. Having thereby inherited the large, dense block of the original house, the new strategy became one of substituting selective areas of indoor space for outdoor courtyard. This strategy of trading indoor space for outdoor courtyard allowed an erosion of the formerly monolithic structure into a series of distinct volumetric elements, and further suggested that the architectural pieces could cohere as a “village.” The main level is further eroded by large, glazed planes, merging indoor with outdoor, and virtually stretching the landscape across interior space. Moving the detached garage from the rear yard to beneath the new living space allowed for a 75-meter lap pool and a shaded olive garden. The gardens include built-in seating, extensive use of ornamental grasses and Zen-like interior courtyards. A material palette of fossilized stone, bonderized-galvanized metal, and natural Douglas fir allows for the warmth desired by the wife, while providing the modernity required by the husband. Programmatically, her music room borrows from the calm and protected olive court in the rear, while his office becomes a pavilion set in the landscape, which both addresses the street and acts as a sheltering monument for the terraced entry garden.

Awarded 2023 Honorable Mention Award by the American Institute of Architects Central MA Chapter Passion project of our Dendochronologist client and his family, this addition shelters a set of spaces meant to feel both indoors and outdoors. Conditioned only by sun, wind, and the woodstove, the room functions as a multi-purpose glazed porch. ​ Surrounding the 1950 house of a style so common in the New England Landscape, our client has worked for a decade to “re-wild” the suburban yard with plantings gathered on fieldtrips around the region. Turning its back to the house, this addition treads lightly into this rich and textured landscape. As the largest room in the house, it will host Thanksgiving dinner as well as it shelters quiet reading by the fire and cocktail parties in the gallery space and cookouts on the back porch. Aligned to extend our addition as close to the property line as bylaws permit, a diagonal wall also expresses the inside-outside connection’s incremental expansion to the North. Structure, shelter, enclosure, and fenestration act and and react to each other to modulate inhabitants’ relative senses of prospect and refuge. The Donna Dodson sculpture Redwing Rose was commissioned for the space.

In 2021, we successfully finished this venture, where the client commissioned us to restore the deteriorated wooden siding, construct a two-tier deck, and give the entire structure a fresh coat of paint. This rejuvenation project of a Victorian residence spanned approximately 8 weeks, encompassing everything from the establishment of the multi-story deck to the final brush strokes on the home's exterior.

This piece was commissioned for an outdoor location, a large and extensively landscaped property with abundant and varied plant life. It was our challenge to design a piece that not only fit this remarkable environment, but also echoed and complemented it. The actual installation was to be placed inside an existing fire pit, ringed with stone, thereby tying the piece to the other stone and boulder shapes around it. Taking shapes from the cactus garden and trees around the site, as well as colors from the flowering plants visible nearby, we designed a spiral structure that could be seen from any vantage point on the property, inside or out. The design provides a completely different look from every angle. Simply moving around the piece, even slightly, changes perspectives in such a way that the very character of the piece changes. The design of the ceramic pieces suggests movement even more with their finlike shapes cutting through the air around them. Even the spiral structure imbues the piece with a rising, turning energy as the eye traces the relationships of the forms up and around. Photo by Michael Linsley

A small boutique hotel in the Grenadines overlooking the island of Mustique was an exercise in local artisanship. The hotel consists of an historic house that contained remnants of British Colonial furniture, and an old beachfront structure that was left in disrepair after years of neglect. We breathed new life into these spaces by whitewashing surfaces and commissioning local artisans to create pieces out of seashells and driftwood to give this property its simple, elegant, Island character.

Courtesy of Atelier Peter Zumthor & Partner: “Zinc mining in the Almanna Canyon in Sauda, Norway, commenced in 1882 under extremely basic conditions.... The mine was closed in 1899....At about the spot where the ore used to be washed and a miners’ barracks once stood on a rocky outcrop, there is now a rest stop on National Highway 520.... Our project was commissioned by the Statens vegvesen, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, to commemorate the almost forgotten history of the zinc mine ... On taking a closer look, one can indeed discover traces of the canyon’s mining history: the transport trail beginning at the mine entrance and cut into the slope with supporting walls and bridges, the foundations of the wooden platform from which the ore was thrown down, and the remains of foundations for simple wooden structures that have since disappeared. Our design works with these elements. It proposes a family of four structures, light wooden constructions along the old mine pathway. The modest open-air museum begins at the redesigned rest stop. Here we find the first member of the little family, a service building. Opposite the rest stop we have built a new flight of stone stairs which leads up to the former trail from the pit. A few more steps up the trail we come to the mining café.... After a further turn in the canyon pathway we come upon a shelter, a collection point where those who want to take a guided tour through the mine are given a helmet with a headlamp. Right next to this, visitors climb up to the mining museum, the fourth and last member of the family of buildings, ...”

Courtesy of Atelier Peter Zumthor & Partner: “Zinc mining in the Almanna Canyon in Sauda, Norway, commenced in 1882 under extremely basic conditions.... The mine was closed in 1899....At about the spot where the ore used to be washed and a miners’ barracks once stood on a rocky outcrop, there is now a rest stop on National Highway 520.... Our project was commissioned by the Statens vegvesen, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, to commemorate the almost forgotten history of the zinc mine ... On taking a closer look, one can indeed discover traces of the canyon’s mining history: the transport trail beginning at the mine entrance and cut into the slope with supporting walls and bridges, the foundations of the wooden platform from which the ore was thrown down, and the remains of foundations for simple wooden structures that have since disappeared. Our design works with these elements. It proposes a family of four structures, light wooden constructions along the old mine pathway. The modest open-air museum begins at the redesigned rest stop. Here we find the first member of the little family, a service building. Opposite the rest stop we have built a new flight of stone stairs which leads up to the former trail from the pit. A few more steps up the trail we come to the mining café.... After a further turn in the canyon pathway we come upon a shelter, a collection point where those who want to take a guided tour through the mine are given a helmet with a headlamp. Right next to this, visitors climb up to the mining museum, the fourth and last member of the family of buildings, ...”

Designed by LWPAC and built by Vanglo Sustainable Construction Group, this singular residence makes the most of a very tight lot. CYAN Horticulture was commissioned to implement a low-maintenance planting plan and ensure regular maintenance of the grounds. Boxwood, yews and a specimen Japanese maple give structure to the space while ornamental grasses and bamboo add a softer touch to the ensemble. photo credit: Ema Peter

Designed by LWPAC and built by Vanglo Sustainable Construction Group, this singular residence makes the most of a very tight lot. CYAN Horticulture was commissioned to implement a low-maintenance planting plan and ensure regular maintenance of the grounds. Boxwood, yews and a specimen Japanese maple give structure to the space while ornamental grasses and bamboo add a softer touch to the ensemble. photo credit: Ema Peter