Round houses
A yurt is a portable house which was originally created by nomadic tribes of central Asia.
The yurts were originally used from Mongolia to Turkey and Afghanistan for centuries.
But in the past 30 years they have steadily been increasing in popularity in the West. This
increase of popularity is because the yurts are environmentally friendly and are used for
both recreational and permanent houses.
Yurts are cleverly engineered, a yurts structure makes use of the forces of tension, gravity
and compression. The conical roof is made of a crown of poles or rafters radiating down
from a central ring to meet the walls. The walls of a yurt are made out of latticed pieces of
wood (preferably recycled or sustainably harvested from non-virgin forests) that unfold
like a baby gate.
It is estimated that tens of thousands of yurts are now in use in North America alone, in
campgrounds, ski resorts and retreat centers, and as homes, offices, schools and sauna
rooms. For year-round residences, the original design has been adapted with the addition
of fireproof roofs, glass windows, plumbing, modem insulation and other items that might
bring them into compliance with building codes.
Prices of ready-made yurts vary, but youll likely spend around $20,000 for one in the
30-foot diameter range, depending on your choice of fabric, doors and windows, extra
insulation and other accessories. A much smaller basic fabric yurt shouldnt set you back
much more than $5,000. Once your platform is built, your yurt will be up within a couple
of days.