Brick by Brick: Local Student's Business Builds Riverside in Miniature

Riverside STEM Academy student Aiden Grover turned a school project into a thriving local business. His company, BrickMoose, designs and sells custom sets compatible with LEGO® bricks that celebrate local architecture. What started as a digital modeling exercise during the pandemic has evolved into miniature versions of Riverside landmarks now sold in shops throughout the city, including the Raincross District, where I’ve purchased several sets.

I’ve given these sets as gifts for my sons over the past two years. The completed models displayed in our home regularly spark conversation with visitors, who are delighted to recognize familiar Riverside buildings recreated in miniature detail.

BrickMoose emerged during the pandemic as a school project at Riverside STEM Academy. “I decided to make a business focused on designing custom sets compatible with LEGO® bricks for people,” Grover explains. “While looking through available domains, I saw that ‘brickmoose.com’ was available, and I liked it because it was both relevant to the business topic while also being specific to me. I like moose—I think they’re super cool.”

His first creation, the “ART” sculpture in front of the Riverside Art Museum, holds special significance. “I designed a version of the ‘ART’ sculpture using LEGO bricks because I took lots of classes there,” he says. That creation now sits proudly in the museum’s gift shop, available for purchase.

Unlike many building enthusiasts who strictly follow instruction booklets, Grover has always preferred charting his own creative course. “I’ve liked designing my own creations as long as I can remember!” he says. “I once turned an excavator into a mostly functioning loom for weaving.”

BrickMoose’s portfolio now includes several impressive landmarks built with LEGO bricks. UCLA’s Royce Hall presented unique challenges due to its asymmetrical architecture, requiring creative solutions. “We ended up using all kinds of weird parts to build Royce Hall, including forks, roller skates, and even teeth,” Grover reveals. “That’s part of the fun, though—hiding funny parts in the set.”

Recently, Grover designed a model of the Riverside main library and created a massive Raincross display for the Citrus Park fair. These projects represent his commitment to preserving Riverside’s architectural heritage in miniature form.

The enterprise remains family-oriented. “My family is pretty involved in BrickMoose,” he shares. “My mom helps with packaging and the business part of BrickMoose, while my dad helps print and cut the stickers for our sets.”

Though Grover acknowledges he prefers the creative side to business management, he’s embraced both. “I don’t enjoy the business part of BrickMoose as much as the set-designing part, but it’s been interesting to learn about the business side of things,” he admits.

When not working on BrickMoose, Grover balances numerous activities. “If I’m not doing something for BrickMoose, I’m either at school at Riverside STEM Academy, playing my bassoon for the school band, doing homework, competing in Science Olympiad, or 3D printing something that I’ve designed,” he says.

Looking ahead, Grover envisions expanding BrickMoose’s Riverside collection. “We’ve gotten a lot of requests for California Baptist University and Riverside City College, so I might have to make those next,” he notes. “I’d also love to design a larger display set for any of the buildings downtown, like the Mission Inn, The Cheech or the main library.”

BrickMoose offers something truly special—custom building sets that celebrate local architecture while providing a hands-on building experience. Grover’s attention to detail and clever building techniques have earned him customers throughout the region.

For Riverside residents looking to own a piece of their city built with LEGO bricks, or visitors seeking a unique souvenir, BrickMoose provides a chance to hold Riverside history in your hands, brick by brick.

As a longtime Riverside resident and reporter, I’ve been impressed by how Grover’s creations capture the essence of our landmarks with such clever brick combinations. Whether as a gift or personal keepsake, these sets offer a unique way to connect with our city’s architectural heritage.

To learn more about BrickMoose or to order custom sets compatible with LEGO bricks, visit brickmoose.com.

LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies, which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this product.