Frank Villalobos

Frank Villalobos learned at a young age that working hard would lead him to bigger and better opportunities. As a young man  he started a small business mowing lawns in East LA and the first lawn he mowed was at the home of Edward R. Roybal in Boyle Heights.  Frank knew that community development was important in East LA and Frank wanted to be a part of that for his neighborhood. 

Frank became an architect and in 1971 founded Barrio Planners Incorporated (BPI), a multidisciplinary consulting firm engaged in the practice of architecture, planning, urban design and landscape architecture. They have been an integral part of urban streetscape design for historic corridors and  historical preservation for the City of Los Angeles.

For 43 years Barrio Planners has provided services to low-income, disadvantaged communities in addition to providing services in modern design applications and in sustainable design. By integrating community participation with their design and planning methodology they have managed to fulfill the dream born on the lawn of  Edward R.Roybal.