diff --git a/src/zona/builder.py b/src/zona/builder.py
index e8d0d58..e99c4b0 100644
--- a/src/zona/builder.py
+++ b/src/zona/builder.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-from zona.models import Item, Metadata
+from zona.models import Item, Metadata, ItemType
+from zona import markdown as zmd
+from zona import util
 from pathlib import Path
 import frontmatter
 from dacite import from_dict
@@ -29,20 +31,35 @@ def discover(root: Path, out_dir: Path) -> list[Item]:
     for path in base.rglob("*"):
         if path.is_file():
             print(f"{subdir}: {path.relative_to(root)}")
-            if path.name.endswith(".md") and not path.is_relative_to(
-                root / "content" / "static"
-            ):
-                meta, content = split_metadata(path)
-            else:
-                meta = None
-                content = path.read_bytes()
+            # we only parse markdown files not in static/
             destination = out_dir / path.relative_to(base)
             item = Item(
                 source=path,
                 destination=destination,
                 url=str(destination.relative_to(out_dir)),
-                metadata=meta,
-                content=content,
             )
+            if path.name.endswith(".md") and not path.is_relative_to(
+                root / "content" / "static"
+            ):
+                item.metadata, item.content = split_metadata(path)
+                item.type = ItemType.MARKDOWN
+                item.copy = False
+                item.destination = destination.with_suffix(".html")
             items.append(item)
     return items
+
+
+def build(items: list[Item]):
+    for item in items:
+        dst = item.destination
+        # create parent dirs if needed
+        if item.type == ItemType.MARKDOWN:
+            assert item.content is not None
+            # parse markdown and render as html
+            raw_html = zmd.md_to_html(item.content)
+            # TODO: apply to template here
+            util.ensure_parents(dst)
+            dst.write_text(raw_html, encoding="utf-8")
+        else:
+            if item.copy:
+                util.copy_static_file(item.source, dst)
diff --git a/src/zona/models.py b/src/zona/models.py
index 7f4d5bb..2351abd 100644
--- a/src/zona/models.py
+++ b/src/zona/models.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 from pathlib import Path
+from enum import Enum
 from datetime import date
 from dataclasses import dataclass
+from typing import Literal
 
 
 @dataclass
@@ -11,10 +13,18 @@ class Metadata:
     # add more options later...
 
 
+class ItemType(Enum):
+    MARKDOWN = "markdown"
+    HTML = "html"
+    IMAGE = "image"
+
+
 @dataclass
 class Item:
     source: Path
     destination: Path
     url: str  # relative to site root
-    metadata: Metadata | None  # frontmatter
-    content: str | bytes
+    metadata: Metadata | None = None  # frontmatter
+    content: str | None = None
+    type: ItemType | None = None
+    copy: bool = True
diff --git a/src/zona/util.py b/src/zona/util.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cb3427b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/zona/util.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+from pathlib import Path
+from shutil import copy2
+
+
+def ensure_parents(target: Path):
+    """Ensure the target's parent directories exist."""
+    target.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+
+
+def copy_static_file(src: Path, dst: Path):
+    """Copy a static file from one location to another."""
+    ensure_parents(dst)
+    copy2(src, dst)
diff --git a/tests/test_metadata.py b/tests/test_builder.py
similarity index 63%
rename from tests/test_metadata.py
rename to tests/test_builder.py
index 1c73f37..c75e36b 100644
--- a/tests/test_metadata.py
+++ b/tests/test_builder.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from datetime import date
 from zona.models import Metadata
-from zona.builder import split_metadata, discover
+from zona.builder import split_metadata, discover, build
 from pathlib import Path
 
 
@@ -43,12 +43,13 @@ description: This is a test.
     """)
 
     style = staticd / "style.css"
-    style.write_text("""
+    style_content = """
 p {
   color: red;
   text-align: center;
 }
-""")
+"""
+    style.write_text(style_content)
 
     items = discover(tmp_path, outd)
 
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ p {
     assert md_item.url == "post.md"
     assert isinstance(md_item.metadata, Metadata)
     assert md_item.metadata.title == "Test Post"
+    assert md_item.content is not None
     assert md_item.content.strip() == "# Hello World"
 
     st_item = items[1]
@@ -69,3 +71,39 @@ p {
     assert st_item.destination.is_relative_to(outd)
     assert st_item.url == "static/style.css"
     assert st_item.metadata is None
+
+
+def test_build(tmp_path: Path):
+    contentd = tmp_path / "content"
+    staticd = contentd / "static"
+    templatesd = tmp_path / "templates"
+    outd = tmp_path / "out"
+
+    for d in [contentd, staticd, templatesd, outd]:
+        d.mkdir()
+    md_file = contentd / "post.md"
+    md_content = """---
+title: Test Post
+date: 2025-06-03
+description: This is a test.
+---
+
+# Hello World
+    """
+    md_file.write_text(md_content)
+
+    style = staticd / "style.css"
+    style_content = """
+p {
+  color: red;
+  text-align: center;
+}
+"""
+    style.write_text(style_content)
+
+    items = discover(tmp_path, outd)
+    build(items)
+    html = (outd / "post.html").read_text()
+    assert html.strip() == "<h1>Hello World</h1>"
+    s = (outd / "static" / "style.css").read_text()
+    assert s.strip() == style_content.strip()