Waco Surf has announced plans for the Desperado, a 450-acre luxury residential community set in the heart of Texas.
Blending the wide-open appeal of ranch life with high-level surfing, the development will offer 88 homes and the first residents are set to move in during the summer of 2027. Construction will begin this summer.
Wave-inspired architecture
Flow serves as the organizing principle for the architecture at the Desperado. Designed by FIRMAH Architecture, led by founder and principal Ashley Heeren, the residences will be 3D-printed by ICON. The structural design features gentle curves and rounded corners that physically echo the rhythmic movement of waves. Interiors are designed to foster an open, connected atmosphere, linking residents with the surrounding Texas prairie landscape.
The community will comprise 44 standalone homes ranging from three to five bedrooms, alongside 44 duplex townhomes, with each residence oriented to provide visual or acoustic connections to the water.
Surf is the centerpiece at the Desperado
At the heart of the development is the surf experience, which will comprise two expansive surf lagoons alongside a standing wave known as the Shredmill. One lagoon and the standing wave already exist as part of the adjacent Waco Surf property, while the second lagoon is being within the Desperado.
Additional amenities include a casual 13-hole golf course meant to be played barefoot, rustic fishing lakes, and a sprawling 25-acre lake. The development will also feature a Nordic spa, clubhouses, restaurants, dedicated work and meeting spaces, pickleball courts, a pump track, and RV camping.
Staying close to nature
To maintain a serene environment, vehicles will remain tucked away in garages, with residents encouraged to navigate the property by golf cart, bicycle, or on foot, moving along natural dirt paths and sealed gravel trails.
The development is also aiming to achieve water neutrality by 2027, which will be accomplished through water capture systems channeled throughout the community into its naturalized lakes and ponds.
