The thing that I loved about Dan phillips’ work is that he’s pushing boundaries. His houses go against “the norm” for what society sees as the typical dream house. He uses materials that are perfectly fine to use but people just throw them away. People are so concerned about perfection, getting the latest thing, or fitting in that people just throw away things they don’t want but are still useful.

I thought it was interesting how he applied gestalt principles to his designs. He talks about how he uses repetition to create harmony among his designs. I love how creative he gets with what he uses to build houses. For example, I would have never thought to use licenses plates as a roof top. I thought that was really bold and cool. I like how he uses materials or structures that are common in “American Dream” homes but applies them in an unusual way. For instances, he uses pre-panel glass that would commonly be used as the front door. Instead, he uses the glass as a window. Little changes like these, makes his houses unique.

I have to disagree with his perspective on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Phillips is saying that we’re putting vanity before our basic needs: food, water,and shelter. I disagree with that because not everyone is concerned about how their house looks. Ultimately, if someone is starving, their priorities are going to shift from “how does my house look to others?” to “how am I going to be able to afford food for this week?”

Overall, I thought Dan Phillips’ houses were very unique. I noticed that he uses a lot of wood in his houses instead of bricks. I think that’s interesting because most homes are made of bricks, but those made of wood are not made the way Phillips’ houses are. Phillip uses the wood in unconventional ways. He incorporates different colors of wood to make a certain pattern. I think Phillips’ is changing what the typical “American Dream” house is.