"Our primary goal is to keep things out of the landfill," says Dan Phillips, owner of building company The Phoenix Commotion in Huntsville, TX. "It doesn't take any more time to go to the junk yard than it does the lumberyard."
Among the items he keeps out of the landfill are corks, framing samples, CDs, broken mirrors, damaged musical instruments, and even bones from ranchers' boneyards. Using these unique materials, Phillips and his crew build homes for under-served populations. They focus on constructing creative living spaces for those who would otherwise be unable to afford a home.
Builder Dan Phillips finds ingenious uses for donated and recycled items, such as the framing samples on this room’s ceiling.
Phillips talks with ease and conviction. He's lead an intriguing life, notably doing intelligence work during the Cold War, creating cryptic puzzles for a newspaper syndicate, and earning multiple degrees in dance. But a commitment to environmental advocacy has always been present in his life, as was a desire to build houses.
The Phoenix Commotion has built more than two dozen structures over the past 17 years. They haven't all been homes; the projects have included studios, a tree house, a public restroom, a church, an education center, an office building, a park, and a town gazebo. All the structures were built in run-down neighborhoods, because that’s where the need was.
"Building in deteriorated neighborhoods is both a choice and a necessity,” says Phillips. “There are no deed restrictions, the lots are cheaper, and there’s a need for affordable housing. I've rescued three neighborhoods this way."
He targets three under-served populations: single parents, low-income families and artists.
All about the materials
Those who sign on to receive a structure from The Phoenix Commotion must be bold. They have no say in the design, and Phillips works with what he has - be it granite leftovers or chicken eggs. But many people are willing to put themselves in his hands, as this is the only way they can afford a house.
Phillips stockpiles materials until he finds a way to use them. Sometimes he makes requests for specific items.
"Get the word out and people send you stuff,” he says. “I received packages of corks from all over the country when I needed them, and a local liquor distributor gave me an 18-wheeler load of them."
Donated corks serve as an unexpected flooring material.
TJ Burdett & Sons Recycling, for whom he built an office, lets him warehouse his materials on their property.
When asked what makes his houses interesting, Phillips is quick to pass the credit to the materials themselves instead of his own invention and resourcefulness. "They are interesting simply because of the nature of recycled materials."
If you have enough of anything, Phillips points out, you can make a pattern. And even if you can't, the serendipity that happens when whimsy, creativity and unique materials combine is always worthwhile. "I feature blemish,” he says. “That's the most interesting, anyway."
Builder with a cause
Although he is an artist, Phillips also calls himself an "annoyance" and admits he has an agenda. "I'm trying to generate a groundswell through demonstration and advocacy," he says.
To that end, he employs exclusively unskilled laborers. Not only does this keep his costs low, so he can pass the savings on to the homeowners, it also gives people in the area usable skills. Phillips is proud of the fact that once he trains them, he pushes them out the door so they can get them higher-paying jobs. Every part of his business is about sustainability in our world.
While all of his projects serve as a stance against consumerism, they are also an expression of his own creativity. "I just think one should make room for adventure in life, enjoy it and take risks," he says.
Giving dull design the boot
A current project is a lifelong dream for Phillips, and definitely an adventure: He’s building a shoe-shaped house.
Technically it's a cowboy boot, but this is Texas, after all. "There isn’t a child anywhere who, having heard the nursery rhyme, hasn’t wondered what it would be like to live in a shoe. I just have the chance to build one," he says.
With such a unique portfolio, Phillips can't say which aspect of his work is most rewarding. "It’s all fulfilling - rescuing materials, the human resources aspects, and creating affordable housing."
Phillips’ structures embody his creativity and passion.
It's clear the man is full of passion for this greater purpose, and he encourages everyone to do the same in their own backyard.
Phillips hopes to write and speak on the subject when he's had enough of building houses. He was a journalist in a prior career, so he’s well-equipped for the challenge, when the time comes.
He’s not quite ready to throw in the towel yet, though.
"I'm very proud to be a homemaker,” he says. “I’m not an architect. That's an academic designation. I think of myself as a builder taking advantage of leftovers."
And creating works of art, and changing lives. It’s all in a day's work for Phillips.
Related:
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- The Family Treehouse: A Place to Come Together and Just Be
- Putting Down Roots 40 Feet Up: Life in a Fire Lookout
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