VISU 1311: Blog Post #8

Dan Phillips, in his Ted Talk, explains how he is able to do what he does by understanding what causes the construction industry to produce waste. He touches on several human traits that causes waste to be created. He says that the human need to have uniformity causes us to throw out windows and other building material when it has defects. The human need for harmony is by identifying patterns and uniformity in their homes and in the world around them. I found his explanation of the two different personalities, the Apollonian and Dionysian, really interesting. It is similar to the idea of the left brain and right brain personalities, with one personality finding comfort in logic and the other in organic forms. I agree with him on that the Apollonian personality has dominated the American ideals and the industrial realm and is the cause for the direction we are going. With material possessions and vanity replacing the basic necessities, the world is producing even more waste. Phillips then proposes a solution to our problem. He says that we should return back to our bare human nature and look to create homes with a more Dionysian and resourceful outlook. This really ties in with synergy. By taking reclaimed materials and his own creativity, Dan Phillips has created homes that take the waste of the construction industry and repurpose it. After listening to Phillips talk I have really come to respect his view on the state of the world and his mission to create less waste.