Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Saturday

Texas Home Builder Constructs American Dream Out of Garbage

Aired May 11, 2002 - 18:23   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: One Texas home builder sees the world as a great recycling bin, where he forages for scraps that he'll later use to build the American dream. Reporter Joe Brown has more now from CNN affiliate KBTX.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE BROWN, KBTX CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Look closely. All the building materials you see were once headed to the scrap heap or landfill. Now they're being used to make Bobby Carter's dreams come true.

BOBBY CARTER: I thought it was going to look just like a normal house, but the ceilings and (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I like it.

BROWN: Nothing Dan Phillips does is normal. He's not out to save the world, just his little corner of it.

DAN PHILLIPS, HOME BUILDER: There is so much building material that is wasted in the United States. All of the United States. And it seems somehow a little bit piggy to be throwing this away when we have families who don't have houses.

BROWN: And those are the families Phillips builds for. While Phillips' unusual homes could easily sell for thousands, the people he builds for are like the materials he uses: Picked over and forgotten.

PHILLIPS: Everybody has to live somewhere. And I'm trying to prove that a builder can make a reasonable profit building for the poor.

BROWN: But don't let the building materials or clientele fool you; Phillips' homes are salvaged works of art. Broken bathroom fixtures create this tub molding, and this stair railing is Bodark (ph) wood, and the granite kitchen counters are recycled. Known as the "Budweiser House," the shingles are made of -- well, you guessed it, Budweiser cans.

PHILLIPS: It's just everywhere. And all you have to do is lean over and pick it up, start your networking, and pretty soon, you get more than you can possibly use. Because -- the reason it's out there is you're using the stuff that other people don't want and so it's everywhere. BROWN: This is another Phillips home. Its signature basket- weave turret is recycled two-by-four cut outs purchased for 20 bucks. Phillips sold the home for under $70,000. That's because he's not in the for the money; he's in it to make a difference.

PHILLIPS: It's a no-brainer to think, well, why don't we use these to build houses for people who don't have houses? And then in the meantime, train unskilled workers and keep stuff out of the landfill.

BROWN: And above all, Dan Phillips proves one man's trash is another man's treasure.

In Huntsville, Texas, Joe Brown, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com