Leger Wanaselja Architecture

What Leger Wanaselja Architecture does

Leger Wanaselja Architecture is a Berkeley, California-based architectural firm founded in 1991 by Karl Wanaselja and joined in 1996 by Cate Leger, operating as a private founder-owned partnership. The firm provides full-service architectural design, interior design, and construction services (via an affiliated general-contracting entity, Wanaselja Construction) for residential, commercial, and institutional clients, with a stated thesis on ecological performance and resource efficiency.

Its core methods center on sustainable green architecture: passive-solar design strategies, integration of salvaged materials (notably over 100 reclaimed car roofs on the McGee Salvage House, repurposed shipping containers, street signs, and site-felled timber), strawbale construction, photovoltaic and solar-thermal integration, greywater reuse, rainwater harvesting, and low-toxicity finishes. Documented building-performance outcomes include 50-90% energy-use reductions versus standard construction, 280% energy-performance improvement in the Dwight Way remodel, a near 9-fold reduction at the Elia Jones remodel, and 70%+ water savings versus California averages.

The firm monetizes through project-based professional-services fees on ground-up construction, renovation, and interior-design engagements. Customer acquisition is referral and earned-media driven, amplified by features in Dwell, Sunset, Wall Street Journal, SF Chronicle, Inhabitat, Treehugger, Houzz, Apartment Therapy, CNN, CNBC, HGTV, and repeated AIA recognition including the 2001 AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects honor and three S.F. AIA "Best of the Bay" Green Design awards (2005, 2006, 2012). The customer base spans residential homeowners as the primary segment with select commercial and institutional clients including the Exploratorium and Powerlight Inc. (now SunPower); geographic footprint is concentrated in the San Francisco Bay Area with projects across Northern California, Southern California, and Southern Oregon.

Name

Leger Wanaselja Architecture

Legal name

Leger Wanaselja Architecture

Website

https://greendwellings.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Leger Wanaselja Architecture is a Berkeley, California-based private firm founded in 1991 that provides sustainable architectural design, interior design, and construction services for residential, commercial, and institutional clients, with specialization in salvaged-material and passive-solar green building.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Green Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Architectural Services (54131)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders (IMAFABAE)

Keywords

• Green architecture services
• Sustainable building design
• Residential architectural design
• Passive solar design
• Salvaged material construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Full-service architecture firm providing design services for residential, commercial, and institutional projects including ground-up construction, renovation, and interior design.
2. Construction Services: Wanaselja Construction provides hands-on building services, bringing construction expertise and budget understanding to projects. Also serves as general contractor on many projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Leger Wanaselja Architecture is a green architecture firm that provides architectural design and construction services for residential, commercial, and institutional clients. Its work emphasizes sustainable building methods, including passive solar design, strawbale construction, and the creative reuse of salvaged materials such as car hoods, shipping containers, cork, and tile. Design services are delivered alongside in-house construction capability through its affiliated Wanaselja Construction entity.

Product overview

Leger Wanaselja Architecture is a green architecture firm offering sustainable architectural design services for residential, commercial, and institutional projects. The firm specializes in innovative green building design incorporating salvaged materials (car parts, shipping containers, street signs), sustainable materials (strawbale, FSC-certified wood, earth plasters), energy-efficient design strategies (passive solar, photovoltaic panels, solar hot water), and water conservation measures (rainwater harvesting, greywater reuse). The portfolio includes diverse project types such as new construction (McGee Salvage House, Nabeshima Kahle Snow House, Ukiah Indoor Outdoor House), renovations and remodels (Elia Jones, Frame Hoskins, Williams), mixed-use developments (The Dwight Way, Adeline Street Urban Salvage), and specialty projects (shipping container houses, strawbale houses, all-electric cottages). The firm provides comprehensive services including architecture, interior design, and sustainable building consulting, with projects ranging from single-family homes to multi-unit apartment buildings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Custom architectural design services for residential, commercial, and institutional clients, emphasizing green and sustainable building methods including passive solar design, strawbale construction, and the integration of salvaged materials.
• Construction Services General contracting and construction services delivered through the affiliated builder Wanaselja Construction, which executes projects designed by Leger Wanaselja Architecture, enabling integrated design-build delivery.
• Interior Design Services Interior design services offered alongside architectural design, supporting cohesive sustainable and salvage-material-driven interior environments for residential and select commercial projects.
• Green Building Consulting Consulting on sustainable, green, and LEED-aligned building strategies, drawing on the principals' LEED accreditation and decades of experience with passive solar, strawbale, and salvaged-materials construction.

Quantifiable outcome

• McGee Salvage House achieved 57% higher than California's Title 24 energy code; scored 9.9/10 on Energy Star Home Energy Yardstick; 90% energy reduction after PV installation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Rick Joy Architects: Studio known for adobe, rammed earth, and climate-responsive desert architecture. Comparable in emphasis on material expression, sustainable methods, and design-led boutique practice, though focused on the Southwest rather than California.
• Architecture 2800: Northern California firm focused on sustainable, net-zero residential and small commercial projects. Comparable in climate-responsive design philosophy, smaller boutique scale, and emphasis on energy performance for Bay Area clients.

Direct peers

• Aidlin Darling Design: Bay Area architecture firm with a similar boutique scale, strong design-led portfolio, and recognition in AIA awards. Comparable in project types (residential, cultural, institutional) and design philosophy emphasizing craft, material expression, and environmental responsiveness.
• Siegel & Strain Architects: Bay Area firm specializing in sustainable, energy-efficient architecture across residential, civic, and educational projects. Direct overlap with Leger Wanaselja in green building methods, AIA-recognized work, and Northern California geography.
• Studio Schicketanz: California-based firm specializing in sustainable residential architecture with emphasis on natural light, indoor-outdoor connection, and energy efficiency. Direct overlap in mission, geography, and project typology with Leger Wanaselja.
• William McDonough + Partners: Pioneering cradle-to-cradle and sustainable design firm where Cate Leger previously worked. Operates at a larger scale but shares Leger Wanaselja's commitment to material health, energy efficiency, and ecological design principles.
• Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects: San Francisco-based architecture firm recognized for sustainability leadership and AIA/COTE awards. Comparable to Leger Wanaselja in mission-driven practice, environmental focus, and award-winning portfolio across civic, housing, and educational projects.
• Arkin Tilt Architects: Bay Area eco-design firm with deep expertise in sustainable building, natural materials, and energy-efficient residential and commercial projects. Direct overlap in geographic market, green design philosophy, and boutique firm size.
• Van Der Ryn Architects: Founded by Sim Van Der Ryn, a pioneer of sustainable architecture where co-founder Cate Leger previously worked. The firm shares Leger Wanaselja's Bay Area base, green design focus, and emphasis on ecological building methods, making it the closest direct comparable.

Peers

• Feldman Architecture: San Francisco residential architecture firm with similar boutique scale and emphasis on site-responsive, high-design residential work. Comparable in target market (Bay Area homeowners seeking premium design) though with less emphasis on sustainability as a differentiator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Leger Wanaselja Architecture