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This House Gives the Term ‘Living in a Car’ a Whole New Meaning

Dec. 16, 2011 4:28pm Liz Klimas

“Look for the house that’s different.” That’s what Karl Wanaselja’s daughter reportedly says to friends she invites over to the family’s unusual house.

This Berkeley, Calif., house is not unique because it’s a human-sized hobbit house, a colony of tiny homes, a 72-square-foot apartment or a movable dome home (these are some of the other living spaces the Blaze has covered). This residence is different because it’s made of carefully-salvaged car parts.

Check out the house and its owners in this Fair Companies’ production:

Fair Companies reports that Wanaselja, an architect who owns Leger Wanaselja Architecture with Cate Leger, also his partner in life, collected metal and windows from cars for three years in order to create siding for the second story and awnings.

Wanaselja said that the upstairs siding is composed of 104 car roofs. The color and quality took some time to collect from junk yards, as he obviously preferred parts without dents.

Berkeley Home Made From Car Parts and Tree Bark

Siding on the second floor is made from car roofs and the color pattern was oriented to look like fish scales.

The second level of the house is sided in poplar bark, which is usually thrown away in furniture making.

He said, “The most I ever got in a day was 16 [roofs].” The awnings are made from “America’s best-selling mini-van,” the Dodge Caravan, according to Wanselja.

Glass awnings on the house were made from side windows of Dodge Caravans.

Wanaselja was even a considerate neighbor when he made his “siding” color choices. He put the lighter siding on the north side of the house in order to help reflect more natural light into the neighbor’s home.

Fair Companies has more:

Because they wanted to blend into the neighborhood as much as possible, Wanaselja and Leger played with perspective to create a home that looks small on the outside, but feels big on the inside.

The home is only 14 feet wide on the ends, and it pitches forward and pinches in at the ends so from the street the home looks small. And it is just 1,140 square feet- more than half the U.S. average- and only 700 square feet on the ground floor.

“We’re not fans of giant houses really. Small on the outside, big on the inside is kind of what it’s about. It’s kind of like Dr. Who’s TARDIS. He’s got this little phone booth, he goes in and then it’s a giant space inside so it’s kind of.

“Or the Harry Potter tent,” adds Leger. “You go in this little tent and then it’s giant inside”.

In this video, Wanaselja and Leger give us a tour of their home, their car part shed and their shipping container architecture studio in the backyard.

Fair Companies reports that the home’s cost per square foot is similar to that of other area homes (not including trips to the junk yard). The whole house is about 1,140 square feet.

(H/T Treehugger)

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Comments (46)

Publius Novus
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 7:30am
A for effort & the family seems very sincere. Too bad the paint on the “shingles” is toxic. Automotive paint is not very friendly (that’s why the auto body guys where respirators) Once cured it’s safe enough but God forbid they have a fire on the exterior it will pose a hazard bot to the environment & too their neighbors, who are like 6″ away.

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- broper
  Posted on December 17, 2011 at 8:23am
  “once cured it’s safe enough”… do you really think old metal car roofs are toxic? Do you honestly believe that metal walls are that likely to burn? My guess is the house will never be involved in a roll-over accident or have it’s gas tank leak onto its muffler. I’m betting the neighbors, even six inches away, are pretty safe.
  
  Of all the daffy thoughts…. yours is the best.
  
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- Walkabout
  Posted on December 17, 2011 at 2:17pm
  broper
  
  So you are telling us that all the binders & pigments (without lead) are safe when they are subjected to the temperature of a house fires. Or that the pigments & binders used for auto painting are not any more toxic when subjected to flame than a wood frame/sheet rock type constructed house.
  
  Maybe you can source some of infonmation you used for your statement.
  
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- Publius Novus
  Posted on December 17, 2011 at 6:16pm
  Those darn poplar shingles would go up like nothing and may cause the metal to burn & melt too. Those metal pieces are not very thick gauge. You obviously no very little about fires. No mufflers or gas tanks needs to be involved and you attempt to suggest that the house is a car is not funny.
  
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grannyrecipe
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 7:18am
Gee wiz, even the straight, married guys in Frisco area have gay accents!

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- Roberto G. Vasquez
  Posted on December 17, 2011 at 9:38am
  Lets face it, it’s a junkyard shack!
  
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- Gonzo
  Posted on December 17, 2011 at 9:44am
  I was thinking the same thing LOL. That guy is probably considered macho in San Fran.
  
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jujubeebee
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 6:55am
It looks okay with the neighborhood as far as I am concerned. It fits into the look of the neighborhood.

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sbenard
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 6:34am
Very innovative. I like the entrepreneurial spirit it represents!

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- Walkabout
  Posted on December 17, 2011 at 2:20pm
  That style of house has been done before especially along the coastline. Still it is innovative. I like the the overhang over the 2nd story deck. I wonder if they used a special glass to manage light but reflect UV.
  
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- proudinfidel54
  Posted on December 17, 2011 at 5:16pm
  I liked the hose I saw on-line made from an airplane fuselage myself.
  
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idarusskie
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 6:17am
stupid concept. ugly house.

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Jenny Lind
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 10:51pm
Neat-I love it!

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ImMadAsHell
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 10:05pm
This house SUX ….thats all I have 2 say

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- Gonzo
  Posted on December 17, 2011 at 9:46am
  Does seem like a wasted effort but, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. At least the guy is making house payments and not waiting for Obama to bail him out.
  
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inferno
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:45pm
Please, check my oil and clean the winshield !

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yetibunker
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:33pm
hey a reference to doctor who. of all the places. doctor who rules! http://dalek1.tripod.com/GenDal08.wav

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LeadNotFollow
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:30pm
Cool house.

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koibaby
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:21pm
I love IT!

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BobtheMoron
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:02pm
Another Why is this story on the Blaze?

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- Cosmos102
  Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:51pm
  …It’s interesting?
  
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- QuietBeige
  Posted on December 16, 2011 at 10:34pm
  Yeah – just like COSMOS102 said – it is interesting!
  
  Not all of Blaze needs to be about how terrible something someone said was. I’m betting these folks are politically liberal but what they are doing is quite cool! I like it. They aren’t pushing anything on others but are proud of what they have done and want to do. I like that also!
  
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Wild911Call
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:02pm
Taking third world housing to a new level!

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- TwoMinuteMan
  Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:52pm
  You would be surprised to find out how much of an average house has recycled elements to it. Roofing, Siding, Wiring, Carpeting, concrete foundations and flooring all have recycled elements in them and sold as brand new items every day.
  
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Oldmantex
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 8:45pm
Is it just me or does someone need to get some round up on that place……hire an illegal and get rid of some weeds!! :-p

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FanoftheFounders
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 7:56pm
TARDIS is similar to the word that describes this house.

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I.Gaspar
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 7:37pm
The federal government will probably forbid the use of cell phones in this house.

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Seagal45
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 6:53pm
Well it’s different, that’s for sure.

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lodgerat
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 6:35pm
I wonder where he put the horn and headlights?

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Tri-ox
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 6:17pm
The trashy neighborhood seen in the video is typical of Berkeley, CA.

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- Walkabout
  Posted on December 17, 2011 at 2:22pm
  I didn’t take a close look at the houses, but the lawn care seems to be especially lacking. The shrubs seem ill kept.
  
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brntout
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 5:54pm
This is housing courtesy of cash for clunkers perhaps?

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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 5:38pm
Different indeed.

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Todd94590
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 4:49pm
“Berkeley, CA” should be enough to give a clue.

And why there aren’t signs on the highway, upon entering Berkeley “You Are Now Leaving The American Sector” I can’t figure out.

but… given Berkeley, I’ll give them kudos for doing something original and without a prominent peace sign showing somewhere.

okay, any of you that can figure out where I live by zip code, yes, we are out of bankruptcy, and yes, there are nice, decent neighborhoods (parents bus their children to our neighborhood to trick-or-treat… whoa be it to the new neighbor who doesn’t stock up on enough candy…. or go lights off & go to the movies)

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- loriann12
  Posted on December 16, 2011 at 4:59pm
  OK, had to look it up. I have relatives in Chico….
  
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- TXPilot
  Posted on December 16, 2011 at 5:43pm
  The government will probably make them register and carry liability insurance on their car/house, but you have to admire how resourceful they are.
  
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sister1_rm
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 4:45pm
I wonder what their Home Owner’s Association would say.

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Prepare for the 2nd Coming
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 4:43pm
Give him credit for ingenuity. At least this family isn’t resorting to living under a bridge.

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RightThinking1
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 4:34pm
I’m sure the neighbors are thrilled. Why didn’t they just ‘recycle’ a couple of single-wides in there and stack them.
Okay…, before some of you get reactionary, I HAVE lived in a mobile home, though it hadn’t been ‘mobile’ for 20 years. Everyone has to live somewhere, and this is not a cheap shot at mobile home dwellers, just at the tastelessness of this guy. Clever, but tasteless. Just because it can be done doesn’t mean that it should.

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- mils
  Posted on December 16, 2011 at 5:00pm
  not a bad place…at least they’re doing something costructive..and not pooping on cop cars , throwing steel bars at police, or stealing weapons from the military.
  
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- loriann12
  Posted on December 16, 2011 at 5:01pm
  If it is done, is probably should be done on a large piece of property so it doesn’t affect anyone else. Gotta give kudos for recycling though.
  
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