The first time I saw an LV home, it was love at first sight. And the more I found out about the LV home series, the more I was drawn to them. The architect of these homes is Rocio Romero and she is a pre-fab leader. Rocio is a graduate of the University of California Berkeley where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Environmental Design with a major in Architecture. She also received a Masters in Architecture from Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc.) Since then, she has been active in residential home design in the United States as well as Chile. Her LV home series has won wide acclaim – and you will see why from the photo below.

The LV home series is among the most -- if not the most -- cost effective pre-fab housing around. The houses come in at $120 - $195 a square foot completed, which is usually where most pre-fab housing starts. And because they are affordable, they have more completed projects than any other pre-fab firm with 64 completed projects in 28 states. Rocio Romero has been featured in numerous publications, design shows and museums across the country and around the globe.

I am completely inspired by her design skill and commitment to cost effectiveness, not to mention all the ways that the LV home series is green (look for that in my next post!) I was able to ask her 10 questions and this is what she told us:

Why did you choose to design pre-fab houses?

The project that encouraged me to establish my own modern pre-fab home line was the very first LV prototype built in 1999 in Laguna Verde, as a vacation home for my family. In designing and building this home I learned the potential of pre-fabricated techniques. This led me to research different pre-fabricated technologies as well as reach out to the predominant manufacturers. At that time, the market was completely devoid of modern pre-fabricated homes, so many of its manufacturers did not see the potential. Every single manufacturer I solicited to fabricate my LV home turned me down. Since both me and my husband wanted to live in an LV , I decided to become my own manufacturer and simply do it myself. I figured if worse comes to worse, we have our LV to live in. In the end, this proved to be the best path for my company, as we control everything: costs, quality, and the design of our homes.

What inspired you most for the LV series?

Nature. Nature is perfect in every way and it continues to inspire me. The first LV prototype is located on a stunning site, where virgin forest meets the Pacific Ocean. The LV is designed to bring the natural beauty of the outdoors "in" and frame nature as a work of art.

How customizable is an LV series home?

In a word, extremely. The majority of our clients customize their home in some manner; from joining LV units together to re-configuring rooms such as the kitchen and bathroom. Check out our projects page, and you can see that every LV homeowner creates their own unique LV via our custom design process.

Why are people choosing pre-fab? What is the number one reason people are choosing pre-fab?

Modern pre-fab is attractive to prospective homeowners today because it is the first time ever that modern home design is available on such a wide scale to the everyday homebuyer. Not only is it now readily accessible, but it brings "green" and sustainable elements to the forefront of available options. In the past, a homeowner had to start from scratch with an architect to create a modern, efficient home, whereas today they can easily pick from a handful of pre-fab companies that are actively manufacturing modern, green homes.

What should a prospective homeowner know before choosing a pre-fab home?

The most important advice I can share with prospective pre-fab homeowners is to do your homework. Make sure you have a complete understanding of your build site, the soils you are building on, your local building codes, and of course, the design you are purchasing. Today's modern pre-fab can be traditional new home construction, as with the LV Series, or modular in fabrication. The distinction between stick-built and modular is important as it impacts the home's availability, the permitting process, and available financing options.

Can a passionate amateur build the house him or herself?

It is possible for an experienced do-it-yourselfer to build an LV home, if they have experience in home construction, basic home construction tools, good project management skills (to manage sub-contractors for foundation work, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, excavation, interior finishes, etc.), and three to four months to devote full-time to construction of their LV series kit home.

How quickly can a house be completed from ordering to moving in? (Or the fastest one has been completed.)

See my answer above.

Do you have any favorite products that you use in the LV series? Or recommend to a new LV series homeowner?

There are numerous products that we love and recommend to our clients. However, in the end, since the interior finishes are not included in the kit, our clients end up using their favorite products. Every client's interior is different and unique. Check out our projects page so you can see different interiors.

Do you have any new ideas up your sleeve? Are any new innovations coming out?

We are currently designing several custom residential homes. We also are working on new prototypes and plan to unveil these at the end of the year.

You live in your LV series, what has that taught you?

I love living in my LV home. I have never felt more at home than in my LV. Day to day, the LV inspires me.

Next, find out how green an LV series home is!