High-end. Cost-effective.
A focused build process that keeps more of the budget available for final details.
Wasatch Back · Park City · Newport Beach
Luxury Homes
Built to Last
A father-and-daughter custom home builder honouring the architect's intent, protecting the budget for the details that matter, and taking on only three to four homes a year.
About Varuna
A Father, a Daughter, and Twenty Years of Building.
Varuna is Chris Hemans, a general contractor of more than twenty years across California and Utah, and his daughter Gray, who runs the projects. The two of them, together with a small bench of trusted trades, are the entire firm.
We specialise in modern mountain homes — the kind that have to perform in a Wasatch winter and read clean against an aspen ridge. Every build is shaped by the architect's drawings, executed in the field by Chris, and held together day-to-day by Gray.
We take on only three to four homes a year. By design.
Our Difference
Three Things That Run Through Every Build.
Crafted Collaboration.
We work closely with architects, designers, and trades. Every home is a shared vision executed precisely.
Built on Experience.
20+ years building throughout Utah and California.
Recent Builds
Our Work
A selection of recent and in-progress builds across the Wasatch Back and the California coast. Tap any image to view larger.
Performance Systems
Built for the Wasatch Winter.
Six systems we use on every modern mountain home — chosen because they make the difference between a house that performs and one that just looks the part.
-
01Warmboard Radiant Comfort System
High-conductivity radiant panels deliver even, quiet, low-temperature heat across every floor — the standard in mountain custom homes where comfort is non-negotiable.
-
02Snow-Melt Concrete Driveway
Hydronic snow-melt loops embedded in the driveway slab keep approaches and entry stairs clear through Wasatch winters — no salt, no shovels, no slip risk.
-
03Rocky Mountain Waterproofing & Drain Mats
Below-grade membranes and dimpled drain mats route water away from the foundation before it ever reaches concrete — the difference between a dry mountain basement and a damp one.
-
04ZIP System Sheathing & Weather Barrier
Integrated wall sheathing with a built-in weather barrier and taped seams. Tighter envelope, fewer thermal leaks, faster dry-in.
-
05Roof-Edge Heat Tape
Self-regulating heat cable along eaves and valleys prevents ice damming and the interior water damage that follows it — invisible in summer, indispensable in February.
-
06Cast-Iron Drain Risers
Cast-iron in the vertical drain stacks dampens the hiss and rush of upper-floor plumbing — a quiet luxury you only notice when it is missing.
Architectural Finishes
Materials Worth the Walk-Up.
Six finishes we return to again and again — chosen because they read correctly at three feet, six feet, and from across the meadow.
-
01Standing Seam Metal Roof
A clean, narrow-rib metal profile that sheds snow, lasts decades, and reads instantly modern in mountain context.
-
02Full Bed Natural Stone
Hand-set, full-thickness stone — not a thin veneer. The depth of shadow and the weight of the joint reads correctly when you walk past it at three feet.
-
03African Mahogany Siding
Warm, dimensionally stable hardwood siding with the colour depth that softens a modern stone-and-steel exterior into something a person actually wants to live in.
-
04Sand Wash Color Finished Concrete Driveway
Exposed-aggregate concrete with a colour-integrated finish — better grip in winter, more material honesty than stamped, and a surface that reads as part of the architecture rather than asphalt.
-
05Retaining Wall System
Engineered retaining walls that hold the grade without dominating the site — geotechnically right and visually quiet.
-
06Western Windows
Aluminium-framed glazing in spans large enough to make the mountain feel like part of the room — without giving up thermal performance at altitude.
The Team
Two People. Every Project. Every Day.
When you call Varuna, you reach Chris or Gray directly. There is no project manager between you and the build.
General Contractor
Chris Hemans
Chris has built throughout California and Utah for more than twenty years. He runs every Varuna build personally — on site, with the trades, and in step with the architect.
Project & Operations Manager
Gray Hemans
Gray manages the calendar, the budget, and the daily rhythm of every project. She is the connective tissue between owner, architect, trades, and Chris.
Build with Varuna
Three to four homes a year.
One of them could be yours.
Or reach Gray directly — gray@varunacustomhomes.com 949.633.9361