Architect Kamal Sagar, owner of Total Environment, typically designs single-family and apartment homes in India.
But as a frequent visitor to the United States, he decided to build his first project there in Frisco, Texas.
It’s a neighborhood called Tapestry, filled with 121 homes that are “completely custom-designed, furnished homes.” The other thing that stands out about them? They all come with a grass-topped roof.
With a starting price of $1.6 million, these homes are not affordable to the average buyer — but they are designed to be sustainable, and to “blur the boundaries between indoors and outdoors.”
“This is your opportunity to live in harmony with nature while enjoying a high-end lifestyle and creating a balance between sustainability and livability,” a statement from Tapestry shares.
The homes come in two sizes: 4,394 square feet and 5,472 square feet. Every room in every home opens out onto a garden, even at the upper level, thanks in part to the green roofs.
The green roofs also eliminate the need for traditional HVAC. The homes are built with geothermal heating and cooling systems, and the grassy roofs help keep the homes cooler in summer and warmer in winter. The grassy roofs also help reduce rainwater runoff and improve overall air quality.
Plus, they fit in well.
The neighborhood is built on a parcel of land that is lush with trees and features bodies of water, which, until Sagar came along, made development companies wary of building in the area.
But Sagar wanted to make something for people who would be eager to connect with nature from the comfort of their homes.
“This property is really beautiful,” Sagar told Dallas Morning News in 2023.
“These water bodies, they attract a lot of wildlife. There’s actually a set of birds that migrate I think from Canada, they stop here at this place, and then they continue from here.”
The green roofs feature native Texas Blackland Prairie grasses and make up for the green cover that existed in place of the homes before they were built.
“These roofs encourage and sustain the existing habitat and support bio-diversity,” Total Environment shared.
In addition to the green roofs, large glass-sliding doors and skylights are placed thoughtfully through open-concept spaces. When customizing a home, residents can also pick from natural materials that are integrated into the architecture of the space.
“It just gives you a very positive feeling and hopefully inspires you,” Sagar said of the homes.
The homes sit atop approximately 20 acres of open space, allowing for walkability along the Rowlett Creek, over 600 mature native trees, parks, and more. The property also includes a gym, swimming pool, clubhouse, and children’s play area.
“These natural features allow our homes to embrace nature just the way we always design them to, providing a sense of warmth, privacy and openness in an increasingly stressful world,” Total Environment shares on its website.
“We create custom interiors to suit each family's unique lifestyle and functional needs. Our homes have a host of innovative features that are smart and modern, yet inspiring and inviting.”
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Header image courtesy of Total Environment
