Les Owens has been building custom and spec homes for 17 years, and found a charitable side hustle in constructing playhouses to raise funds and awareness for victims of child abuse and neglect.
Dallas CASA’s Parade of Playhouses is set for July 15-31 at NorthPark Center. The event features local designers, organizations, and builders who construct and donate playhouses that will be raffled. Proceeds go to Dallas Court Appointed Special Advocates, which trains and supervises community volunteers who advocate for the best interests of children who have been removed from unsafe homes.
“I had seen the Parade of Playhouses in the mall for a number of years and always thought it was such a cool deal,” said Owens, founder of LRO Residential. “As I learned about CASA and I thought this is such a great way to help out, It was just a natural fit. As my custom home business grew and I had the opportunity to build the playhouses, I jumped on it.”
Fully Functional Homes
Owens builds primarily in the Park Cities, Devonshire, Bluffview, and lower Preston Hollow neighborhoods.
He first joined the event in 2010 when his oldest daughter, Sutton, was approaching her first birthday.
“Sutton absolutely loved that first playhouse, and I thought it would be a good goal to build one every year until my kids are grown,” Owens said. “Now Sutton is turning 13, but my youngest daughter is 8, so we still have a few more years of building in us.”
Over the years, LRO Residential has contributed several creative designs, including a nautical playhouse in 2011, “Old Red Barn” in 2012, Sparky’s Firehouse in 2014, and the “Kids’ Cottage” in 2016.
“I like them all, and each was designed and built as things were happening in our own lives with our kids, stuff we were doing as a family,” Owens said. “The interests and ages of our kids for sure played a major role in the builds to this point.”
This year, Owens is building a lighthouse with Brian S. Easley Designs, his 13th contribution to the Parade of Playhouses. The builder begins working on his CASA project in March and approaches it with the same gusto as he does a “real” home.
“We build our playhouses just like one of our custom homes,” Owens said. “The playhouse is wood-framed on a very strong platform with real windows — Anderson Windows this year — and real doors, and metal or shake roof. We flash and waterproof our playhouses so they will last a lifetime. On the interior, we do insulation in the walls, sheetrock, wood flooring, interior trim, and electrical and lighting. The playhouses are built strong and ready to withstand the movement to the new owner’s house. [Once they are] plugged into electrical, they are fully-functional little homes.”
A Good Cause
It’s important for LRO Residential to give back to the community, Owens said, and they’ve specifically selected CASA as a recipient of their charitable work because of its mission.
“It’s imperative for our community to take care of our young children and give them all the opportunity to succeed,” he said. “Our children need a safe home and someone to care for them — basic needs that anyone should have in this country. The better we take care of our children, the better our community will be, generation after generation.”
Dallas CASA volunteers will be on hand at NorthPark Center to sell tickets and answer questions about how to support children who have been abused or neglected and are living in foster care. Daltxrealestate.com is a media sponsor of the event and will feature exclusive interviews and previews of several Parade of Playhouses designs before the annual fundraiser.
