Rocio Romero facts for kids

Rocio Romero (born in 1971) is a designer from Chile and the United States. She creates modern, pre-made homes. These homes are built in sections (like a kit) to save money and fit different local rules. Her idea of bringing back the "kit house" was highly praised by Karrie Jacobs, who started Dwell magazine.

About Rocio Romero

Rocio Romero was born in Chile in 1971. In 1973, she moved to California with her parents. This was the same year as the Pinochet coup d'état in Chile, which was a big political change. She grew up in San Diego.

Rocio studied architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, finishing in 1993. She then earned her master's degree in 1999 from the Southern California Institute of Architecture.

Designing Kit Homes

In 1998, Rocio designed her first "LV" home. It was a vacation house for her parents in Laguna Verde, Chile. This house was built in the traditional way. However, it cost more than planned. This made Rocio realize that she could save money and make a more standard product by using prefabrication. This means building parts of the house in a factory before bringing them to the building site.

Her idea was to use the kit house method. This would keep the homes affordable. It would also allow them to be built according to local rules. She wanted to offer a modern, minimalist style. Her designs use natural airflow and light, with clean lines and balanced shapes.

The house in Chile was finished in 2000. It was even shown on the back cover of Dwell Magazine. Many people were interested in her designs. But Rocio found it hard to get US companies to build her flat-roofed homes.

Building Her Own Business

After working for several design companies, Rocio moved to Missouri in 2001. She married Cale Bradford in 2002. In 2003, she decided to build her designs herself.

Her first house was 1150 square feet. It had a small kitchen, a living-dining area, and two bedrooms and bathrooms. This became the basic plan for her kit homes. Rocio's design needs only one inside wall for support. Other walls can be added if someone wants them.

Her homes are well-insulated, even the glass windows. Gutters and other outside parts are hidden behind special metal panels to keep the look sleek. Her kit includes recycled steel wall panels, pre-made posts and beams from wood, roof parts, tools, and instructions. The kits do not include windows or doors. A local expert must be hired to build the foundation, do the wiring and plumbing, and make sure everything follows local building rules.

Making and Selling Homes

Rocio has other companies make the metal exteriors, steel frames, and wall panels. Then, she supervises putting these parts together in her own workshop. Once a month, she holds an "open house" at her farm in Perryville, Missouri. This lets people who might want to buy a home see her designs.

After her first "LV" design became popular, Rocio created other sizes:

• LVL (LV large): This is 1450 square feet and can have a third bedroom.
• LVM (mini-LV): This is a smaller home, 650 square feet.
• LVL150: A strong structure built to resist hurricane winds.
• LVG: A garage design.
• Base Camp: A mid-sized guest house, about 450 square feet.
• Fish Camp: A small home, 312 square feet.

Karrie Jacobs, from Dwell magazine, says Rocio was the first to see how prefabrication could change how architectural services are offered. By 2015, Rocio had sold 163 homes. These homes were built in 29 different states and 3 countries!

Sources

See also

In Spanish: Rocío García Romero para niños