Yurta is a functional shelter that deploys in about two hours without turning a screw or hammering a nail. Designed and made for extreme climates, Yurta is weatherproof out-of-the box, and tested to carry extreme wind and snow loads.
We accept no compromises with respect to materials and production. We aim to make the very best in yurts anywhere. Yurta is the super duty tent you will own for a lifetime.
No knots are present in our clear white ash frames. Our yurts are always made of custom-milled clear hardwood. Known for its density and flexibility, white ash is hand-selected, shaped and assembled into a very strong structure that is a work of art on its own.
Our insulation is made exclusively for us and combines the thermal benefits of 100% real wool felt with the radiant performance of a reflective layer. Our felt is needled to a specific thickness and density, providing a warm and even finish for your space.
Outer covers are sewn together from scratch in our shop according to our own design. Tolerances for sewing are incredibly tight and we work well outside of industry standards on our sewing machines in order to achieve what we do. The covers are sealed by hand for water resistance. We use a fabric that can be coated with the correct paint to extend its lifespan.
All yurts include three large, multifunctional windows that are nearly 4’x4’. Each window includes a hard edged awning that doubles as a storm flap, a cold weather insert made of Lexan and built-in insulation (when selected). Additional windows can be placed as desired around the yurt creating a gorgeous panorama of the surrounding landscape.
Our domes are 48” wide. Made of clear-cast acrylic, the museum-grade acrylic dome has two bends in the form which make it light yet rigid. It is operated with an included pole and three gas springs providing function to scoop or orient the dome opening as needed. The dome makes the Yurta a very bright space.
Our doors are made of furniture-grade, clear red and white cedar using traditional joinery instead of screws. They’re so beautiful, they’ll make the door on your house jealous.
All elements in our yurts are purpose-built for function and beauty.
We don’t adapt or use commercially available construction hardware. Fit and finish are top of mind with every piece.
Yurta is a breathable tent – condensation from users and extreme humidity fluctuations is allowed to breathe out of the yurt. Yurta uses no bubble-wrap insulation and no vinyl covers. Vinyl and bubble-wrap insulation tend to trap condensation, which promotes mold growth. To learn more about why we think vinyl is evil, see our FAQ.
Yurta 17
10’ peak
11’ peak
The 17’ frame is “bottomed-out” : It’s as light as we can make a structure that can still withstand snow and wind load extremes. Unlike just about every yurt made in North America today, Yurta is a structural circle - the cone-shaped roof is hard-connected to the lattice wall, which acts as a spring. The hardwood frame’s geometry is uniform and it becomes monolithic during setup. This allows the structure to share load exceptionally well while remaining an extremely minimal footprint. This ingenious traditional design has somehow been ignored by the modern yurt makers.
Minimal but strong, Yurta has survived hurricanes and Arctic extremes! It is still designed to be packed up and moved as needs change. With some forethought, the 17’ Yurta can be fully installed with round floor and deck in less than a day, and moved anytime without ever rebuilding a thing or disturbing the soil. Keeping it light makes this possible.
We have been making the 17 since 2004.
Yurta 21
12’ peak
The roof rafters of the 21’ are 2”x5” thick and showcase the stunning beauty of the grain in white ash. The frame slots together into a faithful yurt cone-shaped roof hard mounted to a heavy lattice wall. Although it lacks the flexibility of the 17’ frame, the same load bearing efficiency and the heft of the frame makes it all the stronger.
The 21’ yurt is a much larger scale yurt than the 17’ yurt. The accompanying infrastructure of floor and deck is also much larger, making a 21’ yurt project a significant increase in effort overall. The result is a superb medium-long term shelter suited to more uses, but that still fits into the back of a pickup truck.
Because of the size of the yurt and the intensity in the production of its parts, we only offer the 21’ yurt on a strictly limited basis. It is made to order only since 2016.
Yurta Fit + Finish
Features
If we think it’s a good idea for a yurt, all yurts get equipped with it.
Options
Floors + Decks
One of the chief advantages a yurt offers is minimal footprint. The needs of any given project needs should determine the approach to floors and decks. In all cases, we encourage you to touch the earth as lightly as possible for your needs. Lightweight structures should not require the ground to be disturbed. We believe that it is best to place this type of structure on a well-anchored, adjustable platform or directly on the ground surface without pouring permanent foundations. Placing a Yurta or platform directly on the surface allows the ground to recover quickly and leave virtually no trace.
Using your Yurta short-term is easy because setup is quick and possible most anywhere, as-is. It can be installed and staked directly to the ground. In these cases, we recommend that users add vapor-barrier/floor liner to limit ground moisture from filling the space daily when using the space for “living” or sleeping. Please note, we do not make a liner for staked-yurt setups.
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To be more comfortable year-round, a round insulated floor is recommended for yurts. Yurta’s fabric wall wraps around this round floor to form a near-perfect seal around the floor. This creates a micro-climate for year-round living in most any climate.
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Your Yurta includes plans and drawings to build your own round, insulated floor. This floor is structural and does not require a level surface like a deck.
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We offer you an optional slotted, insulated floor made of panels that form a 2.5” circle. The panels are stained and made of birch plywood for an even light honey colour with minimal grain. This floor is not structural and requiring a level deck to sit on. Though it is ready to handle traffic, it is intended as a subfloor for finished flooring such a rugs, mats or most any finish needed.
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You may setup your round floor on your deck for many reasons. A deck is a practical addition to your yurt project because it provides a level surface from which to fully access your shelter for maximum use and care. In this case, any deck is suitable, as long as it is at least one foot bigger than the yurt you install.
We offer a floating deck kit with necessary hardware and plans. Called the Octopad, it is a free-standing, portable and self-levelling deck that is designed to sit directly on the soil. It requires no poured or dug foundations and no site preparation such as levelling. Once you build eight triangular modules, they install or dismantle in about 2 hours with a proprietary bracket mount and screw jacks. This allows each module to be individually levelled on uneven terrain during setup, and later if soil should heave or give in any location.
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It's in the Details
We chose the very best and continually refine our manufacturing to offer what we believe the very best design, made with the very best materials, by the very best human hands in our industry today.
Just as importantly, vinyl and bubble-wrap are not breathable! They trap condensation and create a haven for mold. Breathable fabrics do the work of exchanging air and regulating moisture in a tent.
Skilled hands and expertise make a weather-tight cover using an exacting process - a craft that takes about a year to fully learn.
We are proud that every part of our yurt is sourced locally and every Yurta represents dozens of jobs through the province.
All of the skilled trades and businesses we work with are local and long-term suppliers who understand the importance of everything they do.
Made exclusively for us, our insulation combines the thermal properties of 100% real wool with the radiant capacity of a reflective layer. This means that radiant heat is reflected into the yurt during the cold winter months, and reflected out of the yurt during the summer.
Breathable, natural and non-toxic, real wool felt is the ultimate way to finish a yurt.
Wool Felt Insulation is:
The covers and woodwork we do in our own shop is done from scratch to exacting standards in an environment where the work is deathly serious - but none of the people are.
Machines demand compromises that craft workers do not have to make. This human touch is what allows us to do what we do.
The secret ingredient is the love. We think you’ll see it when you stand in yours.