Modern Elm
A turning point, drawn across two lots.
Modern Elm · Site Context Modern Elm marked a turning point. After years of dreaming, Sawyer Hemsley wanted a home that reflected the work and the belief that shaped his journey.
What began as a remodel evolved into a full rebuild across two unified lots, entered into the Utah Valley Parade of Homes. Thousands would tour the site — every material, detail and transition seen up close.
Sawyer brought a surge of references — travel, memory, nostalgia, instinct — and a willingness to push further than most. Our job was to resolve that energy across a sprawling, multi-level site.
Modern Elm · Terraces 
Modern Elm · Villa Connection A surge of ideas, resolved across a sprawling, multi-level site.
The pool as epicenter, sharp-edged and impossible to ignore.
Modern Elm · Sculptural Edge We weren't subtle. Modern Elm was designed to be bold, immersive, impossible to ignore.
The pool is the epicenter. Sharp edges, meticulous detail. Submerged seating slips below the waterline; a concealed screen rises for nighttime; the custom Splinterworks slide is sculptural and pure delight.
Modern Elm · Golden Hour Stepping down, layer by layer, water and sky in sequence.
Modern Elm · Stepping Down Terraces step down from the main house toward the pool. Each level shifts perspective — water, garden, sky in sequence.
Behind the scenes, more than fifty trades worked on site at peak. Full-site 3D modeling aligned structure and surface long before installation; weekly integration kept architecture, pool engineering and landscape advancing together.
Modern Elm · Lighting Modern Elm · Villa Connection "This pool rivals anything in existence. It's the kind of feature you see in Cabo or Monaco, not Orem, Utah."Kory Robison · Builder & President, Robison Build Co.
Slightly apart. Its own identity within the estate.
Modern Elm · Wellness · Twilight The wellness zone is a quiet anchor at the edge of the estate — a gym, sauna, greenhouse and sport court holding their own gravity, distinct from the pool's pull.
Where the central terraces are theatrical, this corner is contemplative. The materials soften, the geometry slows. It's where the property breathes.
Modern Elm · Sport Court Modern Elm · Wellness Best Landscaping &
Outdoor Space.
While Modern Elm is deeply personal, its impact extends far beyond Sawyer. For the family, it's the home they imagined. For the visitors, it's the landscape that made them feel something.
That's the bar. Architecture, interiors, and landscape at the same insanely high level — together.
One Parade guest admitted, "The pool made me emotional." Others called it "the most complete, inspiring landscape I think I've ever been to."
The moves behind the magic.
Eight moves anchor Modern Elm. Some structural — the zero-edge pool, the terraces, the wellness zone. Others detail-scale — a concealed screen, a sculptural slide, a stone never used in Utah before.
01 · Sculptural Pool
One-of-one sculptural zero-edge pool
Engineered for four-season Utah climate. Sharp edges, meticulous detail, purpose-built across the property's full length.
02 · Submerged Seating
Submerged seating & concealed outdoor screen
Seating slips just below the waterline. A screen rises silently for nighttime — invisible by day, cinematic at dusk.
03 · Splinterworks Slide
Custom Splinterworks slide
Sculpture first, function second. A piece of art that happens to deliver pure delight.
04 · Terraces
Multi-level terraces linking main house and villa
Layered outdoor rooms step the site down toward the pool. Each level shifts perspective — water, garden, sky in sequence.
05 · Wellness Zone
Dedicated wellness zone
Gym, sauna, greenhouse and sport court — held slightly apart, with their own gravity.
06 · Koopa Clad Y
Koopa Clad Y stone facade
First use in Utah. A material decision that anchors the architecture at first glance.
07 · Coordination
Full-site 3D modeling & laser coordination
Modeling aligned structure and surface long before installation. Weekly integration kept fifty-plus trades advancing together.
08 · Architectural Lighting
Resort-grade water features with architectural lighting
A coordinated lighting program turns dusk into theater — water, stone and sky after sundown.
Modern Elm · Full Site Modern Elm
"They took my vision (and let's be real, my thousands of inspo pics and chaotic thoughts) and turned it into something truly special."Sawyer Hemsley · Client