Prior to creating Building Knowledge, Andrea Mones established and served as Historic Preservation and Fine Arts Officer for the Public Buildings Service, U.S. General Services Administration, in Washington, D.C. As the Project Manager for the conversion of this unique 1888 four story federal office building, modeled after the Palazzo Farnese, into a 21st c. museum. Ms. Mones was responsible for collaborating on the building condition report, the budget for restoration, architect/engineer selection for design, contract negotiation, design, and construction.

The U.S. Pension Building was designed to house the Office of Pensioners after the Civil War. Its internal brick stairs were supposedly only 3-inches high so that horses could scale the four floors. The colossal columns each contain 55,000 bricks and rise four stories high. Single loaded corridors surround enormous atrium spaces. The building was given to the newly created National Building Museum in 1980. From 1986-1989, a major renovation of the building was federally funded to create temperature and humidity controlled art galleries, a museum store, classrooms, offices, and a cafe. The museum has used the building for over 15 years and its ability to attract visitors in a city dominated by the Smithsonian Museum complex is a testament to their programming around the building arts.