Modern Canyon Residence | Salt Lake County, Utah

A young professional family fell in love with the idea of canyon living while looking for a new place to call home.  Minutes from Salt Lake City and world class ski resorts, Emigration Canyon offered the feel of a remote, wild landscape with towering mountain views and real wildlife yard ornaments.  They were hooked.

Of course, property like that is high in demand and low in supply.  It doesn't come cheap.

But they were driven by an unshakable vision of canyon life so they searched against all odds for a lot they could both love and afford.  And they found it, hiding in the open in an exclusive gated community.  

At a third the cost of the other lots they were smitten... and highly suspicious.  They were told by members of the community that many had tried, but that due to easements, height restricitons, setbacks, soils issues, natural vegetation, and rights of way, all had failed.  It was deemed unbuildable.

In spite of nay sayers and with a cautious optimism, they purchased the lot and teamed up with Imbue Design to solve the problem.  With a little creativity and a lot of time and determination a solution presented itself.  The resulting home is a composition of volumes that shift vertically and horizontally, in plan and elevation, squeezing in conformity to the many site constraints.  The staggering forms and spaces are a literal manifestation of the many site driven restrictions.

The Emigration Canyon's owners are now living their canyon dream in an exclusive community. Lesson learned.  Sometimes it pays off to seek out life's lemons rather than wait for them to be handed to you.