When the client decided they needed more space to expand their family in their beautiful single house in Downtown Charleston, they decided to begin with a master bedroom addition and renovated gourmet kitchen.

Wishing to produce an old world feel out of reclaimed materials, designer John Paul Huguley and the Building Art team, and with the findings of Building Art Workshop, discovered the reclaimed lights, doors and furnishings. The result was stunning heart pine flooring, old farm board walls, repurposed lights, old doors from an Alabama farm, a repurposed chest of drawers used as the vanity, timbers as the collar ties, sculpted old wood shelves in the kitchen, hand made brackets, and an antiqued mirror above the updated stovetop.

When horticulturist Jenks Farmer decided to forego another sculpture in the Moore Botanical Gardens in Lake City, SC, he called on us to create a new kind of focal point. The concept was to craft a small sanctuary on the edge of a spring-fed lake where the world would come to a stop. Inspired by English barns, the 300 ft2 heavy-timber structure is protected under an immense thatch roof built using centuries-old techniques. Its 10-foot walls – made with white oak wattles – pivot open to invite the garden inside. See more of the Spring House in Southern Living and Garden and Gun magazines.

While on a trip to Charleston, the Galli family of Hunt Valley, MD, learned of our creative design and installation services. Soon thereafter, the couple commissioned a decorative hand-carved limestone entryway, walnut-crafted door, and the forged iron lantern bracket for their country home.

"We are so pleased with your work! It's stunning! We also appreciate your attention to detail so we can be worry free."

Cindy Galli

Based on the design, budget and construction package, Building Art and Fountain Timberworks were selected to build a 2000 sq/ft. heavy timber (post and beam) pavilion and two twin outbuildings. The twin outbuildings would house bathroom facilities, pool changing rooms and meeting space at Stono Ferry. The year-long bid process culminated in more than 250 families casting a ballot to move forward and fund the project.

As part of a multi-million dollar renovation project, we worked hand-in-hand with the Galli’s architect Peter Ratcliffe. Expanding on the architect's conceptual ideas of a walkway, half-round porch and octagonal pool pavilion, we created a full set of detailed plans, hand-cut and chiseled the timber-framing and then erected the structures.

“I was very impressed and excited to see the project come together. It’s out of a storybook. I would be happy to have you involved in another project and will promote what you offer to other builders and architects.”

Peter Ratcliffe, AIA

New construction designed to be a merge of contemporary and repurposed elements. All interior doors, lighting, and vanities, were found and repurposed. Sinker heart pine was used for hardwood floors, walls were outfitted with farmboard. We used zinc countertops in the kitchen that included a great farm sink.

This freedmans cottage had been long abandoned with constant exposure to the elements. Building art kept the historic shell, and redeveloped a more efficient interior, gaining two bedrooms and two full baths in a very tight space. We used reclaimed Heart Pine doors, farm board walls, reclaimed wood for shelving, and salvaged mantle for shelves. We did reclaimed chests for vanities, and used a reclaimed clawfoot tub.

Designed to be an open chapel with heavy timber hammer beam construction. This chapel is designed by Building Art in conjunction with Tidewater Carolinas. The chapel will celebrate the lives that were lost, and was designed for family weddings and christenings to come.