Robbie Antonio: REVOLUTION PRECRAFTED disrupts the Home-building Industry with Prefab Homes: How would you like to live in a home designed by world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid, or how about one developed by a rock star like Lenny Kravitz? It’s not out of the question… even in Costa Rica, if Robbie Antonio has any influence on the matter.

With client projects worth more than $8.7 billion being developed, Antonio’s brainchild company, Revolution Precrafted, is quickly disrupting the traditional $850 billion home-building industry around the world. It all started with a eureka moment sparking the idea of “branded prefab” homes through the intersection of technology, art and design. Collaboration with celebrated names in those circles, along with top architects and real estate developers, added up to a dynamically innovative value proposition.

His eureka moment was
coming up with the idea of
“branded prefab” homes designed by
famed architects, designers,
artists and celebrities.

Revolution Precrafted identifies primarily as a “property-tech” company, delivering on its promise to homeowners of a meticulously designed and precisely manufactured end product. The homes are manufactured off-site and shipped around the world.Real estate is in Antonio’s blood. He got his start working as managing director of the family-owned Century Properties Group in the Philippines, where he spearheaded iconic fashion-branded properties in Manila with Armani, Versace, Trump and others. Later in New York, he founded Antonio Development. Recently, he founded Revolution Precrafted. He is the youngest person on the Forbes 2017 and 2018 list of 50 Richest in the Philippines.

There is a reason why Robbie Antonio is often compared to Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla. As the billionaire CEO of Revolution Precrafted, Antonio has launched a home-building enterprise akin to a high-end automobile brand but with the added twist of accessible pricing. Customers can personalize what they build and can afford it too.

Howler recently had an opportunity to ask the real estate mogul about Revolution Precrafted and its plans for entering the Costa Rican market.

We Home by AFGH.

What opportunities are you seeing in Latin America, and Costa Rica specifically, at this time?

We see Latin America as a potential growth area for Revolution Precrafted. There is so much untapped land in the region that can be site-developed and land-developed to become unique residential developments — from affordable housing projects to premium villas and mansions.

We are in talks with several developers from the country who are interested in monetizing their land by converting them to residential and tourist accommodations. We are in the process of finalizing the negotiations, but we expect at least one deal to be announced before the end of the year or early 2019.

Eden home by Marcel Wanders.

What has it been like working with some of the top architects and designers in the world on some really iconic projects? 

Working with some of the world’s best architects and designers is quite rewarding. You see, we work with them every step of the design process. We get to witness their brilliant technique and concepts come to life.

In business terms, what is the impact of this collaborative branding on sales turnover and the bottom line?

We are the only branded housing company in the world. Since we launched in December 2015, we have bagged over $8.7 billion in expected revenues. I’d like to believe that our branding proposition is one of the main reasons we receive so much business. After all, the branded prefab model separates us from other prefab companies.

Polygonal Successions by Eduardo Calma, a prefab townhouse complex in Batulao Artscapes.

Tell us a bit about the genesis of Revolution Precrafted — a pretty disruptive model for the industry, is it not?

I was living alone in New York and I wanted to create something related to real estate but something completely different. Then I thought of branded prefab. By the time of our launch, there were already several prefab players in the field. But there was no other company offering branded prefab, so that was our great market differentiation. Our first ever project was the $1.1 billion Batulao Artscapes in the Philippines. It perfectly captures the idea of combining art, fashion, design and architecture.

We have homes and museums designed by some of the best and most creative people such as Christian de Portzamparc, Jean Nouvel, Philip Johnson Alan Ritchie Architects (PJAR) and Tange Associates.

We also have homes designed by Helena Christensen and Camilla Staerk, David Salle, Kenneth Cobonpue and Eduardo Calma among others.

Artist rendering of a proposed development inside the $1.1 billion Batulao Artscape project in the Philippines.

What does “property-tech” entail?

We consider ourselves a property-tech company primarily because of how we incorporate technology with production. From the start of the line, we use advanced robotics in our fabrication and production. This allows us to speed up production considerably compared to traditional home building. We have partnered with a Dubai-based company to engage in off-site fabrication technology. This is a gamechanger for us because it will hasten our production and delivery time.

What is the average price for your homes?

We have two classifications of homes. We have our origin homes, designed by our internal team. Prices range from $10,000 to over $100,000. Then, we also have our curated homes, designed by our world-class revolutionaries, with prices from $120,000 to $360,000.

Do you see Revolution Precrafted as the primary vehicle into the Costa Rican market or are you looking at development generally?

We are only focused on supplying homes to Costa Rica through local and international developers. That is our business model, which is B2B2C [business to business to consumer]. We are open to working on both residential or tourism-related projects in Costa Rica. We see so much potential in the market.

Mr. Antonio working with designer Michael Maltazan.

Where do you see Revolution Precrafted going in the future worldwide?

We expect to be present in 35 countries by the end of the year. We are now in 26 countries, so we expect to hit our target. By the end of 2020, we expect to be ubiquitous … present in at least 85 to 100 countries worldwide and in all continents.

Costa Rica has a worldwide reputation for environmentally sustainable development. What is your view and mindset as it relates to Revolution Precrafted and development in general?

We have plans for creating net-zero developments where the carbon footprint would be low. While wanting to supply homes and tourism-related amenities, we are very conscious of the need to be sustainable. No matter what kind of development we put up in any country, rest assured that it will be compliant with all environmental laws and policies.

Revolution Precrafted Founder and CEO Robbie Antonio poses with the late Zaha Hadid and Patrik Schumacher.

If someone in Costa Rica wants to order a Revolution Precrafted product, is it possible right now?

Yes, this is possible. We have a global network of fabricators who can build the units. They will then be shipped to Costa Rica and installed there. The entire process takes two or three months, depending on the unit size and volume of orders.

Finally, do you have a message for our readers and to Costa Rica in general?

We are really looking forward to finally entering the Costa Rican market, where we are confident people will see the value behind our branded, limited-edition prefab structures.

Building in Costa Rica HOWLER Articles

Building Greener in Guanacaste
Picking the Right Windows
Swimming Pools, Design Construction and Maintenance
Know Before You Buy, The importance of Home inspection
From Dream to Reality
Picking your Dream Property
Storm Protection for Your Home
Roofing 101: Guanacaste Style
Guanacaste Tropical Hardwoods
Going with the flow: Rain Runoff and Erosion
Understanding Tico Plumbing