Think: Modernist Lincoln Logs…

Home prices are falling, builders have perhaps the worst new-home market in a very long time and consumers are trying to find ways to build custom homes that suit their needs without breaking the bank. If only Lincoln logs were enormous... Well, there may be just that kind of thing. Architectural designer Rocio Romero has an interesting product on the market: prefab homes. No, it's not like the Sears catalogue homes. Not exactly. This is more like prefab home design meets Ikea pieces-parts builing meets modern minimalism. The LV Series, as it's called, offers the homebuyer a chance for a great amount of customization and the ability to strip the home down to it's basic parts. Adding a garage or a guest house is no issue at all. And these homes are well built and designed too. For those living in the gulf coast or mid-Atlantic coast, the LV150 can take 150 mph winds and meet the stingiest Hurricane codes (as prefabs!).

Design-wise there are some pretty cool features. First, the walls provide the structural support, allowing for some really cool customization ability. The walls also have sheet metal (galvanized steel, available in a lot of great colors) applied to the exterior to cover the fasteners and provide a clean surface. The walls are designed with double the typical insulating ability, and are super energy efficient. The roof has a similarly high insulation value, stopping energy loss from one of the greatest contributors. She also is willing to work with her clients to take the houses as energy-efficient as possible using solar and green options to reduce grid load. The design of the homes also allows for huge amounts of glass to the exterior.

Really, there's way too much for me to describe. It's super cool, and very reasonably priced, so check it out.