The new Ventana by Buckner tower won’t be open until 2019, but prospective customers will be able to take a digital walkthrough of the 189-unit senior living facility starting this summer.

Dallas startup Roomored designed the immersive 3D technology that allows users to customize everything from countertops and cabinets to flooring and backsplashes.

Rather than wearing 3D goggles, users move through the 3D space and look up and down by using controllers on a touchscreen. Roomored’s technology will be available at the Ventana by Buckner sales facility within two months.

This real-time customization is what homebuyers have come to expect, CEO and founder Farrukh Malik said.

ROOMORED GIVES PEOPLE MORE CONTROL

“Today’s homebuyer is used to watching HGTV,” Malik said. “They show fancy visuals and things moving around. This gives people more control and they’re more satisfied.”

The Ventana by Buckner is in the early stages of construction at North Central Expressway and Northwest Highway in Dallas. The sales office is located in One Lincoln Park Building, 8401 N. Central Expressway, Suite 725.

This is a major milestone for Roomored, which launched in 2015. The design platform just launched in March. The announcement comes as the company raises its first seed round. Up to now, the company’s team of 10 were self funded with some help from local investors.

VISUALIZING A CUSTOMIZED SPACE IN TAP OF A BUTTON

Roomored’s technology replaces the old paint swatches and material samples that homebuilders have historically used, said Didi Horton, senior director of marketing and sales for Buckner Retirement Services.

“In the past we we had to lay out samples,” Horton said. “They had to envision it themselves how that’s all going to look put together.”

With Roomored, the colors can be customized at the tap of a button. It even shows a functional flatscreen television mounted on the wall.

“Putting all of that together will make the process faster for them and easier for them,” Horton said. “We’ve not ever had or received a program like that. It’s pretty innovative and I think it’s something our consumers will really want.”

“Roomored’s vision is to reinvent the way homebuyers find, design, and purchase their newly built homes.” 

Farrukh Malik

Ventana will be a 12-story tower for residents age 62 and older. Residents will typically start in the independent living residences. As they age, the lifecare facility will provide assisted living, skilled nursing, and memory care for residents who need it.

Ventana will have 26 different floor plans ranging from one-bedroom units with 947 square feet up to two bedroom, two bathroom units with a den option that’s 1,612 square feet. There will be common space throughout with dining, a swimming pool, and event space.

NEXT STOP: HOME BUILDER MARKET

Roomored’s next goal is to work with production home builders so it can make 3D walkthroughs of their floorplans. The goal is to make it easy for homebuyers to pick finishes for their homes, typically the domain of custom home builders.

The platform is already deployed in sales and design centers across Dallas-Fort Worth. It speeds up the days-to-close process by allowing buyers to visualize their home and be confident about their decision.

“Roomored’s vision is to reinvent the way homebuyers find, design, and purchase their newly built homes,” Malik said. “Our technology allows these buyers to engage with photo-realistic virtual reality replicas of a home builder’s products in a way that paper images simply cannot match.”

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