diff --git a/docs/examples/full_build.rst b/docs/examples/full_build.rst
index 5be0bed..3d57e3b 100644
--- a/docs/examples/full_build.rst
+++ b/docs/examples/full_build.rst
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ Level-2 build example
 
    import sbol2
 
-   from buildcompiler.buildcompiler import BuildCompiler
+   from buildcompiler import BuildCompiler
 
    test_files = Path("tests/test_files")
    collection_docs = []
diff --git a/docs/examples/offline_lvl1.rst b/docs/examples/offline_lvl1.rst
index 9c158f7..aca4654 100644
--- a/docs/examples/offline_lvl1.rst
+++ b/docs/examples/offline_lvl1.rst
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ Example
 
    import sbol2
 
-   from buildcompiler.abstract_translator import extract_toplevel_definition
+   from buildcompiler import BuildCompiler
    from buildcompiler.adapters.pudu import write_assembly_pudu_input_json
-   from buildcompiler.buildcompiler import BuildCompiler
+   from buildcompiler.abstract_translator import extract_toplevel_definition
 
    test_files = Path("tests/test_files")
    collection_docs = []
diff --git a/docs/index.rst b/docs/index.rst
index aada7b7..55351f0 100644
--- a/docs/index.rst
+++ b/docs/index.rst
@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@ MoClo assembly, transformation, and plating.
 
 The repository currently exposes two useful layers:
 
-* A legacy, artifact-producing compiler in :mod:`buildcompiler.buildcompiler`
-  that is used by the offline notebooks and PUDU examples.
+* An artifact-producing compiler exported as :class:`buildcompiler.BuildCompiler`
+  that is used by the offline notebooks and PUDU examples. Its implementation
+  remains in :mod:`buildcompiler.buildcompiler` for compatibility.
 * A newer modular API in :mod:`buildcompiler.api`, :mod:`buildcompiler.stages`,
   :mod:`buildcompiler.planning`, and :mod:`buildcompiler.execution`.
 
diff --git a/docs/quickstart.rst b/docs/quickstart.rst
index 81782e3..de1dd9f 100644
--- a/docs/quickstart.rst
+++ b/docs/quickstart.rst
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ Load the local fixture collections:
 
    import sbol2
 
+   from buildcompiler import BuildCompiler
    from buildcompiler.abstract_translator import extract_toplevel_definition
-   from buildcompiler.buildcompiler import BuildCompiler
 
    repo = Path.cwd()
    test_files = repo / "tests" / "test_files"
diff --git a/notebooks/build_compiler_test.ipynb b/notebooks/build_compiler_test.ipynb
index f1e5a8f..aab79cc 100644
--- a/notebooks/build_compiler_test.ipynb
+++ b/notebooks/build_compiler_test.ipynb
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "import sbol2\n",
-    "from buildcompiler.buildcompiler import BuildCompiler\n",
+    "from buildcompiler import BuildCompiler\n",
     "from buildcompiler.abstract_translator import extract_toplevel_definition"
    ]
   },
diff --git a/notebooks/buildcompiler_offline_quickstart.ipynb b/notebooks/buildcompiler_offline_quickstart.ipynb
index 59dc066..fd25a47 100644
--- a/notebooks/buildcompiler_offline_quickstart.ipynb
+++ b/notebooks/buildcompiler_offline_quickstart.ipynb
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@
     "\n",
     "from buildcompiler.api import BuildCompiler as OrchestratedBuildCompiler\n",
     "from buildcompiler.api import BuildOptions, domestication as run_domestication\n",
-    "from buildcompiler.buildcompiler import BuildCompiler, _extract_lvl2_TUs\n",
+    "from buildcompiler import BuildCompiler\n",
+    "from buildcompiler.buildcompiler import _extract_lvl2_TUs\n",
     "from buildcompiler.abstract_translator import extract_toplevel_definition\n",
     "from buildcompiler.adapters.pudu import domestication_artifacts_to_pudu_json, write_assembly_pudu_input_json\n",
     "from buildcompiler.domain import BuildRequest, BuildStage, DesignKind, IndexedBackbone, IndexedPlasmid, IndexedReagent, MaterialState, StageStatus\n",
diff --git a/notebooks/buildcompiler_transformation_quickstart.ipynb b/notebooks/buildcompiler_transformation_quickstart.ipynb
index e0467ef..3b57809 100644
--- a/notebooks/buildcompiler_transformation_quickstart.ipynb
+++ b/notebooks/buildcompiler_transformation_quickstart.ipynb
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
     "\n",
     "from buildcompiler.abstract_translator import extract_toplevel_definition\n",
     "from buildcompiler.adapters.pudu import plating_to_pudu_json, transformations_to_pudu_json, write_assembly_pudu_input_json\n",
-    "from buildcompiler.buildcompiler import BuildCompiler\n",
+    "from buildcompiler import BuildCompiler\n",
     "\n",
     "\n",
     "def find_repo_root(start: Path) -> Path:\n",
diff --git a/notebooks/comb_design.ipynb b/notebooks/comb_design.ipynb
index dcc14c7..c0ff40f 100644
--- a/notebooks/comb_design.ipynb
+++ b/notebooks/comb_design.ipynb
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "import sbol2\n",
-    "from buildcompiler.buildcompiler import BuildCompiler"
+    "from buildcompiler import BuildCompiler"
    ]
   },
   {
diff --git a/notebooks/full_build_quickstart.ipynb b/notebooks/full_build_quickstart.ipynb
index efbc33b..d399747 100644
--- a/notebooks/full_build_quickstart.ipynb
+++ b/notebooks/full_build_quickstart.ipynb
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
         "from pathlib import Path\n",
         "import sbol2\n",
         "\n",
-        "from buildcompiler.buildcompiler import BuildCompiler"
+        "from buildcompiler import BuildCompiler"
       ]
     },
     {
diff --git a/notebooks/full_build_workflow_examples.ipynb b/notebooks/full_build_workflow_examples.ipynb
index f631556..ddc5313 100644
--- a/notebooks/full_build_workflow_examples.ipynb
+++ b/notebooks/full_build_workflow_examples.ipynb
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
         "import sbol2\n",
         "\n",
         "from buildcompiler.abstract_translator import extract_toplevel_definition\n",
-        "from buildcompiler.buildcompiler import BuildCompiler\n",
+        "from buildcompiler import BuildCompiler\n",
         "from buildcompiler.constants import ENGINEERED_PLASMID"
       ]
     },
diff --git a/notebooks/impl_creation.ipynb b/notebooks/impl_creation.ipynb
index 6105579..7837a70 100644
--- a/notebooks/impl_creation.ipynb
+++ b/notebooks/impl_creation.ipynb
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "import sbol2\n",
-    "from buildcompiler.buildcompiler import BuildCompiler"
+    "from buildcompiler import BuildCompiler"
    ]
   },
   {
diff --git a/src/buildcompiler/__init__.py b/src/buildcompiler/__init__.py
index 75527b4..1445176 100644
--- a/src/buildcompiler/__init__.py
+++ b/src/buildcompiler/__init__.py
@@ -1,12 +1,23 @@
 """BuildCompiler public package exports."""
 
+from typing import Any
+
 from .sbol2build import *  # noqa: F403
 from .api import (
-    BuildCompiler,
-    BuildOptions,
-    assembly_lvl1,
-    assembly_lvl2,
-    domestication,
-    full_build,
-    transformation,
+    BuildOptions as BuildOptions,
+    assembly_lvl1 as assembly_lvl1,
+    assembly_lvl2 as assembly_lvl2,
+    domestication as domestication,
+    full_build as full_build,
+    transformation as transformation,
 )
+
+
+def __getattr__(name: str) -> Any:
+    """Load the artifact-producing compiler only when it is requested."""
+    if name == "BuildCompiler":
+        from .buildcompiler import BuildCompiler
+
+        globals()[name] = BuildCompiler
+        return BuildCompiler
+    raise AttributeError(f"module {__name__!r} has no attribute {name!r}")
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_legacy_offline_fixtures.py b/tests/integration/test_legacy_offline_fixtures.py
index 1022a4e..9f47fad 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_legacy_offline_fixtures.py
+++ b/tests/integration/test_legacy_offline_fixtures.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import sbol2
 
 from buildcompiler.api import domestication
-from buildcompiler.buildcompiler import BuildCompiler
+from buildcompiler import BuildCompiler
 from buildcompiler.domain import IndexedBackbone, IndexedReagent, StageStatus
 from buildcompiler.inventory import Inventory
 
diff --git a/tests/test_buildcompiler.py b/tests/test_buildcompiler.py
index 17e34aa..8994229 100644
--- a/tests/test_buildcompiler.py
+++ b/tests/test_buildcompiler.py
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@
 
 sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "../src")))
 
-from buildcompiler.buildcompiler import BuildCompiler, _extract_lvl2_TUs
+from buildcompiler import BuildCompiler
+from buildcompiler.buildcompiler import _extract_lvl2_TUs
 
 from buildcompiler.abstract_translator import extract_toplevel_definition, get_or_pull
 from buildcompiler.api import domestication
diff --git a/tests/test_buildcompiler_transformation.py b/tests/test_buildcompiler_transformation.py
index 137ab88..20edead 100644
--- a/tests/test_buildcompiler_transformation.py
+++ b/tests/test_buildcompiler_transformation.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "../src")))
 
 from buildcompiler.abstract_translator import extract_toplevel_definition
-from buildcompiler.buildcompiler import BuildCompiler
+from buildcompiler import BuildCompiler
 from buildcompiler.constants import ENGINEERED_PLASMID
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_full_build.py b/tests/test_full_build.py
index 071d9ae..73b579d 100644
--- a/tests/test_full_build.py
+++ b/tests/test_full_build.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "../src")))
 
-from buildcompiler.buildcompiler import BuildCompiler
+from buildcompiler import BuildCompiler
 from buildcompiler.plasmid import Plasmid
 from buildcompiler.constants import ENGINEERED_PLASMID
 
diff --git a/tests/test_plating.py b/tests/test_plating.py
index 9989538..784f514 100644
--- a/tests/test_plating.py
+++ b/tests/test_plating.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "../src")))
 
-from buildcompiler.buildcompiler import BuildCompiler
+from buildcompiler import BuildCompiler
 from buildcompiler.constants import ENGINEERED_PLASMID, ORGANISM_STRAIN
 from buildcompiler.robotutils import generate_96_well_positions, normalize_plating_input
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/stages/test_assembly_lvl2.py b/tests/unit/stages/test_assembly_lvl2.py
index 84d8580..d092908 100644
--- a/tests/unit/stages/test_assembly_lvl2.py
+++ b/tests/unit/stages/test_assembly_lvl2.py
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ def test_assembly_lvl2_incomplete_region_order_blocks_as_hard_constraint():
 def test_buildcompiler_assembly_lvl2_respects_supplied_backbone(monkeypatch):
     from types import SimpleNamespace
 
-    from buildcompiler.buildcompiler import BuildCompiler
+    from buildcompiler import BuildCompiler
     import buildcompiler.buildcompiler as buildcompiler_module
 
     compiler = BuildCompiler.from_local_documents([])
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_core_imports.py b/tests/unit/test_core_imports.py
index bc45619..abaf2f3 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_core_imports.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_core_imports.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ def test_core_imports_do_not_load_optional_automation_dependencies():
         plating_to_pudu_json,
         transformation_to_pudu_json,
     )
-    from buildcompiler.api import BuildCompiler, BuildOptions
+    from buildcompiler.api import BuildCompiler as ApiBuildCompiler, BuildOptions
     from buildcompiler import (
         BuildCompiler as RootBuildCompiler,
         assembly_lvl1,
@@ -17,12 +17,13 @@ def test_core_imports_do_not_load_optional_automation_dependencies():
         full_build,
         transformation,
     )
+    from buildcompiler.buildcompiler import BuildCompiler as LegacyBuildCompiler
     from buildcompiler.execution import FullBuildExecutor
     from buildcompiler.reporting import BuildGraph, BuildReport, BuildSummary
 
     assert buildcompiler
-    assert BuildCompiler
-    assert RootBuildCompiler is BuildCompiler
+    assert ApiBuildCompiler
+    assert RootBuildCompiler is LegacyBuildCompiler
     assert BuildOptions
     assert full_build
     assert domestication