Yurt, what is it?

Incredibly strong, Ingenious Structures

Yurts are

known to be

one of the strongest and most resource

efficient

structures

ever created. Th

circular, domed canvas and

wood structure integrate

tension and compression

components

that

allow

the

yurt to withstand heavy wind, rain and

snow.

Acclaimed by

Architectural Digest as an "

rchitectural

onder"

urt

remarkably strong yet lightweight and as

versatile as

your imagination.

Yurts: A History

The first yurts have been traced back to the time of Ganges Khan

who

used a sixty foot Yurt permanently mounted on a wagon

and

puled by

Yaks. The average

Mongolian family lived in a sixteen

foot Yurt that

could be loaded and moved by two yaks. Marco

Polo, observing the

nomadic people of Mongolia, noticed their

sturdy, exactly-round tents

made of rods, covered with felt, which

they carried with them on carts.

Yurts (or gers, as they are called

in Asia), are still used today

throughout parts of Russia, Mongolia

and Siberia.

The traditional yurt walls were made of slats

of wood

lashed

together

with leather thongs to form a collapsible trellis or lattice.

The lattice

was set up in a circle and the door frame was lashed

into place. The

hub or center ring was set on one or two posts in

the center of the

yurt. Roof poles connected to the hub and rest

on the top of the

lattice

Finally, the entire lattice is bound by a

tension rope. Covers for

yurts in Mongolia were constructed of felt

(

the hair from Yaks

)

, beaten soft by rolling

and dragging

ehind

Yaks. In cold climates, up to six layers

were used for insulation.

Yurts have been used in some of the most inhospitable and

barren regions of the world including the deserts of the Sahara

and Gobi, the Central Asian steppe, and the polar tundras. Yurts

can be warm in temperatures of minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit and

cool in temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Uniquely Efficient Structural Alternative

The serene, circular space

of a

Yurt seems to offer a more open

connection to the natural world. Designed to be versatile, it can be

used for many

different

uses. Whether you want to get closer to

nature, or simply prefer the cost and space efficiencies provided

by a unique structural alternative Yurts are becoming a fast

growing

alternative

conventional

housing and construction.