Low-income housing from cast-offs
Phillips' company built this ceiling for a low-income house in Huntsville, Texas out of thousands of picture frame corners.
The New York Times features Dan Phillips and his construction company, Phoenix Commotion, which builds housing for low-income families out of discarded materials that would otherwise be sent to landfills.
So far, he has built 14 homes in Huntsville, which is his hometown, on lots either purchased or received as a donation. A self-taught carpenter, electrician and plumber, Mr. Phillips said 80 percent of the materials are salvaged from other construction projects, hauled out of trash heaps or just picked up from the side of the road.
Energy efficiency, durability and capacity for homeowner repair are other strong factors influencing the design. The Times has also put together a slideshow of some of the beautiful details of these homes.
