In our 2019 Franklin HS co-ed program, students emerged with a particular vision for their tiny home: to maximize use of reclaimed and unusual building materials, creating a low-impact, high-end dwelling on a shoestring budget. For the first time, our students took the reigns in budgeting and allocating funds for their project, and used resources like Second Use Building Materials to find clever solutions for their construction needs.

The build phase of Wunderbar was pushed back repeatedly in light of the coronavirus pandemic, but finally resumed in the fall of 2021, and completed in the spring of 2022. The new team on duty was led first by Meg Hartwig, then by our new team member Albert Smalls in 2022. Virtually all the interior and exterior finish materials were salvaged from past projects or purchased from architectural salvage stores like Second Use and Earthwise.

Thanks so much to our mentors Clenel Williams, Rebecca Chau, and Zach Moshier for steering the design phase of the project, and to build mentor PK for her masterful carpentry guidance.