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The Deans of Green
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Texas Builder Dan Phillips Turns Trash into Treasure
comments (2) September 8th, 2009 in Blogs
Ed Pirnik, producer
10 users recommend
Random leftover shingles give this home's roof an odd striated look.
Photo: Dan Phillips
License plates, crystal platters, picture frame samples—for Dan Phillips, these items are every bit as useful in the construction of a home as say, MDF or laminated I-beams. Phillips, 64, has created a niche market for himself, building homes with a variety of cast-off items and recycled building supplies.
The homes, which are built primarily for low-income families, generally cost homeowners anywhere from $99 to $300 a month . Although about half of them have been lost to foreclosure, more affluent buyers with a penchant for the quirky have begun to snatch them up. For them, Phillips' homes are seen as artistic treasures buried amid a sea of cookie cutter homes with about as much personality as a salad fork.
For more information on Phillips and his work, be sure to have a look at this slideshow from the New York Times.
And be sure to check out these links on interesting recycled/repurposed products as seen in Fine Homebuilding:
posted in: Blogs, green building, framing, recycled building products, Dan Phillips
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Comments (2)
I must admit, it's great to see folks pick up a skill like homebuilding - granted, this fellow isn't your typical homebuilder - late in life. It takes a lot of guts to confront something as daunting as the construction of a home. Especially when you're doing it on the fly, incorporating random items. Neat stuff.
-Ed
Posted: 9:23 am on September 10th
Posted: 1:38 am on September 10th
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