WASHINGTON, Utah — Blue Heron, a Las Vegas design-build firm known for high-end modern homes, is expanding into Southern Utah. The company announced on Oct. 1 that its first Utah neighborhood, Vela, will sit inside Solenté, a luxury master-planned community in Washington City near St. George.
Vela is the first step in what Blue Heron calls a national expansion. Its first Utah show home, named Altair, is already under construction and is targeted for the 2027 Southern Utah Parade of Homes.
What Vela is
Vela will have 38 homesites inside a private, double-gated enclave. Blue Heron both designs and builds its homes, so buyers work with one firm from plans through construction.
The company says the homes are being designed specifically for Solenté's red-rock setting rather than copied from its Las Vegas work. Plans call for large indoor-outdoor connections, space for family and guests, and optional built-in wellness features. Blue Heron is targeting established Utah homeowners, including empty nesters moving down from the Wasatch Front, along with its own past buyers.
Pricing, floor plans and homesite availability have not been released. Blue Heron says those details and reservations will come this fall. A priority interest list is open now.
Who Blue Heron is
Architect Tyler Jones founded Blue Heron in 2004. The firm has delivered nearly 500 homes and markets its style as "Vegas Modern." Kevin Adams is CEO.
Adams said expanding nationally means adapting to each market instead of repeating one formula. He described Southern Utah as a chance to build something rooted in the region that still feels like Blue Heron.
Solenté and its builders
Solenté is a 570-acre gated community planned for about 2,200 homes, according to the release. It is being developed by Clyde Capital Group, the real estate arm of Utah-based Clyde Companies. Clyde Capital reports about 20,000 acres under development from Eagle, Idaho, to St. George.
The community is built around the private La Parea Club, which will include a clubhouse, pool, fitness center, restaurant and pickleball courts. It is planned for about 250 members.
Solenté lets lot buyers bring their own builder or use one of the development's partner custom builders. The first completed home, an $8 million estate of more than 7,000 square feet by C. Blake Homes, was shown in the 2025 St. George Area Parade of Homes.
What it means for local builders
Blue Heron's arrival puts an out-of-state luxury design-build brand in direct competition with Southern Utah's custom builders at the top of the market. Its model also differs: Blue Heron controls design and construction in-house across a whole enclave, while much of Solenté is sold as lots to buyers who hire their own builder.
For trades, the bigger signal is the money flowing into Washington City's high end. Solenté has room for about 2,200 homes, and at least two Parade-level projects have now gone up or are underway there.