Green Options

Do yurts have to be built on a platform? Well, the FAQ page from Shelter Designs in Montana makes a case. In summary, just do it!

It’s best to have a flat surface so the kit will assemble correctly. Make your life easier, they say. Avoid mildew, and finally, ‒ be more climate efficient for comfort.

I love yurt living. It’s like camping out, — but in a modern, convenient structure. The dome has so much to do with that feeling.

As we face the Autumnal Equinox, I watch the interior dome light shift as it does with my landscaping. The daily light beam changes with seasons.

Every yurt has a central compression ring. The exterior finale is typically a dome. Yet there are some options that may surprise you.

A yurt cupola is especially nice for tropical environments. Claire Wolfe, who wrote about her yurt building for Backwoods Home Magazine, replaces the dome skylight for a cupola. She utilized a powder-coated steel frame with an architectural fabric cover. The cupola was raised six inches around the perimeter. As a result, there’s shade and a natural cooling system with maximum air flow.

Designing a yurt entails color decisions. Of course material swatches are always best, but playing with an interactive tool is a great start.

The Colorado Yurt Company has the greatest exterior color tool available. You can play with the roof and valance choices in addition to the bottom band.

Like any building development, there’s a lot of back-and-forth. I mean it’s not a linear effort. Thus far I’ve covered yurt topics from getting started to climate and prices. However, design is always involved. Herein are some creative yurt doorway options.

Climate and purpose formulate design decisions. And the design is necessary to project costs. What are yurt design options? Let’s start with basics.

Let’s talk climate further. That will provide insight for add-ons necessary to achieve year-round comfort.

Yurts appear logical for my tropical climate where elements of nature aren’t so severe. Well, surprise, but no worry. Just know that maintaining yurt warmth can be an easier task than keeping cool.

This is a yurt living series that was recently launched with a focus on purpose. My topic is climate now, which is not a hindrance for yurt lovers at all. However, consideration of comfort causes a need to review add-ons and upgrades.

Yurts were created in Mongolia long before our economy crisis. In fact yurts accommodated nomadic people for thousands of years. Especially in the past 25 years, there’s been a resurgence of interest. Then manufacturers began creating their own design modifications for a variety of purposes.

The purpose of constructing a yurt may be for a home, office, store, workshop, rental, or vacation lodge. The yurt design may include a loft, be surrounded by a large deck, or be a two-story structure. It can be permitted to satisfy building codes, temporary, or off the grid. What’s really fascinating is how many climates a yurt is feasible to be comfortable in.