Acclaimed San Jose developer and owner of the building company Swenson Builders, Barron “Barry” Swenson, died on Saturday at the age of 85 after a lifetime of constructing many of the South Bay’s most iconic buildings.

Swenson’s legacy is tied to the skyline of San Jose, where he constructed and renovated some of its most iconic buildings, including San Jose City Hall, the Civic Center, the San Jose Mercury News headquarters and Hotel de Anza, which solidified the company’s reputation for high standards and construction innovation.

“I’m one of those guys who can make a bar of soap last a year. I don’t waste anything,” Swenson frequently said in his life, according to the company’s website.

Swenson’s family could not be immediately reached for comment on Sunday.

Building upon the groundwork laid by his father’s building company in the first half of the 20th century, Swenson forged his own company, Barry Swenson Builders, in 1977, where it grew to prominence together with the buildings that adorn San Jose’s skyline. These efforts were part of a larger plan by Swenson to shape San Jose as an attractive destination for businesses and the community, according to Swenson Builders’ website.

Jesse L. Nickell III, former senior vice president of Barry Swenson Builders, said Swenson was a judicious businessman, a loyal leader and a “man of the Earth.” Nickell and Swenson worked together rebuilding dozens of Santa Cruz homes after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, because they both believed Santa Cruz would come back better than before.

“I worked with Barry for 34 years, and I would say, as a leader, his optimism was infectious. He was giving, generous and was a loyalist with all those around him,” Nickell told Bay Area News Group on Sunday. “I’m sad to see Barry leaving us and going to the other side.”

Swenson’s portfolio spans residential condos and senior apartments, commercial buildings for top companies and mixed-use urban shopping centers. In the 2000s, Swenson developed a new design approach for structural concrete buildings in the Bay Area with the introduction of Landmaker. He received the patent for this approach in 2016.

“He loved to hunt and pull vegetables from the garden and eat things fresh and unadulterated. He loved good Irish whiskey and was the salt of the Earth. ” Nickell said. “He is a brother I will miss.”