Tailgate: Rocio Romero, Architect-Designer

by Chris Hoelck

What led you to prefab design?

The bottom-line reason was my frustration that as an architectural designer, I could only control the design. I wanted to control how my designs were built as well as control construction costs. With prefab, I am able to influence how my designs are built, and I believe that I deliver a better quality product and service this way.

The project that encouraged me to establish my own modern prefab home line was the LV prototype, built in 1999 in Laguna Verde, Chile. That led to today’s LV Series of homes.

Who are your customers?

We cater to a lot of different demographic groups. In terms of sensibility, I think anyone purchasing our home has a modern, creative sensibility. They view and express themselves that way.

What is it about your homes that appeals to customers today?

I think what appeals to people is the modern aesthetic and the assurance that they’re going to get what they’ve bought. There’s a learning curve embedded in the building process that a lot of clients don’t want to be part of, so the predictability of design and also the affordability are assets. Modern design is usually anywhere from 15% to 30% more than normal stick-built, but in our case, it’s usually the same as regular stick-built. While it’s not the cheapest solution, it’s definitely an affordable way to get modern architecture.