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Creative Houses From Reclaimed Stuff

A Hero For Our Times

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Profound and Visionary Home Building

What an unbelievably unique take on housing and architecture! Dan Philips creates houses that are made from 70-80% recycled material. The creativity he puts to use is as impressive as the tons of materials he saves from the landfill. You will see decorative details made from eggshells and bottle caps. You will see rooftops made of license plates! You will see water faucets for the bathtub made of a Budweiser beer tap!

His philosophy is that our collective mindset of perfection is what creates all the waste. From the builders to the homebuyers to the marketers- everyone demands adherence to sterile, conventional norms. If a 2x 4 isn’t perfect, it goes in the dump. Dan Philips instead incorporates these blemishes and organic processes.

See all the materials he saves that were headed for the landfill- even vintage stoves! Hear his astute, original and truly amusing take on why we have come to tolerate this level of waste.

In 1998, he and his wife, Marsha, started The Phoenix Commotion, in Huntsville, Texas -- a construction company that builds affordable houses from reclaimed and recycled materials. Their mission is to divert landfill waste while creating sustainable housing for single mothers, artists, and families with low incomes. The houses are energy-efficient, cheap and satisfying to build -- and wildly, effervescently creative.

You will think differently about your space and all the fixtures in it after this unique presentation.

--Bibi Farber

This video was produced by Ted Talks

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