Though they’ve been quietly cropping up at nature resorts and state parks for several decades, yurts are now gaining mainstream appeal, particularly since HGTV featured them on the hit show Design Star.
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Yurts have been continually used in Central Asia for thousands of years, and are still the most common house type in Mongolia. Still, you might be wondering—what the heck is a yurt, anyway?
Essentially, a yurt is a round, tent-like structure. Though they were traditionally favored by nomadic sheepherders and others whose lifestyles necessitated portable housing, modern American yurts tend to be more permanent structures.
They can be used even in climates with harsh winters, as most yurt companies now make their covers from a reflective insulation developed by NASA, and are designed to withstand winds up to 100 mph. In fact, their round shape makes yurts more efficient to heat than square houses.
Yurts are relatively easy to assemble, and much cheaper than traditional Western houses. For a basic yurt, prices range from under $5,000 for a twelve foot yurt, to about $10,000 for a thirty footer—not including the many customizations and add-ons that can transform your yurt from rustic to luxurious.
But beyond the basics, why is this old-school structure experiencing a swell of popularity in the US? Below, Movoto examines five reasons why yurts are so hot right now.
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They're different.
In 1978, Oregon-based Pacific Yurts became the first company to manufacture yurts for the US market. Since then, yurts have been steadily spreading east. While they used to be associated with “roughing it,” yurts are now being designed as luxury cabins at upscale resorts.
Jerry Ritchie, president of Yurts of America, has noticed this trend. “When they were first introduced [to the US market], they were more like kits,” Ritchie said. Now, he said, there are many more luxurious options. “The days of renting a little yurt for forty-nine dollars a night.. now it’s at least ten times that."
Ian Teal, of Red River Gorge Cabin Rentals in Kentucky, said that his company recently commissioned a set of yurts rather than building more square cabins because, “It was something different, something unique.”And that uniqueness pays off: Ritchie estimates that resorts can get 10 to 20 percent higher rents for yurts than for conventional cabins.
They're round.
The yurt’s shape is both practical and aesthetically pleasing. Its curved walls prevent wind from buffeting the sides of the yurt; in fact, yurts are amazingly sturdy even in adverse weather conditions. The domed ceiling of a 24-foot yurt rises fifteen feet, creating a sense of openness unparalleled by the traditional cabin.
“We grow up in squares,” Ritchie said. “Think of the house you grew up in or the house you own now. It’s square, square rooms, square doors, square hallways.” We’re so used to square buildings that simply walking into a yurt creates a novel effect. “When you walk into a round, cathedral-like structure...you have this big, round, open space, and it’s just a different feeling than what we’re used to.”
They're endlessly customizable.
Yurts of America and sites like it offer scores of options for customizing your yurt. Prices range from $7,500 for the most basic 24 foot yurt, to $17,500 for a fully loaded deluxe yurt. They can be made in any color. They can have air conditioning, plumbing, wet bars, even hot tubs.
They could even be covered in quilts, as was the case for one British woman who commissioned a yurt through Ritchie’s company.
Yurts can also be customized for people wanting to live as off-the-grid as possible. Some yurt dwellers install solar panels and rain catchment devices. Conservationists appreciate yurts for their small footprint and because they leave no permanent impression on the ground.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider