A yurt?

Inspiring vegetarian, humanitarian, Olympic snowboarder Hannah Teter is moving into a yurt when she heads back to Vermont. She told People magazine: 

“I will live in the yurt part time,” Teter says. “Mom has [a] huge garden and fruit trees, and I love it there. I helped my parents get solar power this past year, and I’ll be running on solar and hopefully wind power with my yurt so I can be completely off the grid.”

A yurt? Ever heard of a yurt? It’s such a great eco-conscious concept if you can make it work for you. 

A yurt is a modern version of a shelter that has been used for centuries by nomads in Central Asia. I suppose you can call it a tent, but it’s a lot more advanced than that. Yurts are lightweight, low-cost, and display an effective use of tension and compression while maximizing strength with very little materials. They are circular and made of a wood frame with a lattice wall, radial rafters, a central compression ring, a framed door, all wrapped up in a very durable fabric cover. It’s pretty remarkable that they can have full plumbing and electricity too — and as Hannah plans to do, can run on solar and wind power to be extra clean.

Who’s to say you can’t dress them up with stylish eco-friendly furniture and fixtures? I’m sure it makes the most sense to keep your decor inspired by nature and quite minimalist.. but that doesn’t mean it can’t be comfortable and nice to look at. 

If you have the land for it, here are some ways you can incorporate a yurt into your life:

- As a guest house in your landscaped back yard. How fun for guests to have their own getaway while they visit you. 

- As temporary housing while you’re undergoing home renovations or repairs. 

- As a home office or studio that’s nice and private. 

- As your own gym or meditation room, complete with music, shower, and workout equipment. 

- Or, as your own place to live for a while to get back to nature — with more amenities. 

If getting your own yurt isn’t an option or if you’d simply like to test one out for yourself on vacation you can find a list of spots to rent a yurt around the United States here.

(Info: Pacific Yurts, People, Photos: Inside, Survival Spot, rbge)

N.Parkington