Check out Dan Phillips on TED talking about some of his projects, his process, and his philosophy. Dan’s construction company, Phoenix Commotion, builds durable, affordable, energy efficient custom homes using up to 80% salvaged and recycled materials in Huntsville, TX. His apprentice-based crews utilize a vast variety of donated and found materials, which include “mismatched bricks, shards of ceramic tiles, shattered mirrors, bottle butts, wine corks, old DVDs and even bones from nearby cattle yards.”Not usually mentioned among the nation’s “green” building meccas, Huntsville nevertheless has seen increasing demand for the unique aesthetics and sustainable construction techniques on exhibit in each of Dan’s homes. Most of Dan’s customers are low-income families who are asked to contribute “sweat-equity” during the construction process alongside Phoenix Commotion’s laborers. Dan says he tends to favor poor, single mothers because his own father abandoned him and his mother when he was 17, leaving them in a financial mess. Our hats off to Dan for putting his money where his mouth is and leading by example in his East Texas community.
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