This weeks Tiny House in a Landscape is of a yurt set in a valley somewhere in Colorado. I am a big fan of yurts as I love there simplicity and ease of setting up. They seem perfect for a wilderness hideaway such as this one. Yurts are also used to live in full time, sometimes built with solid wood walls, and range from small to quite large in diameter.
The one drawback with the yurt for me is the lattice walls and how they affect your view out of the windows. You probably get used to it after a while and I know there are alternatives.
This photo is courtesy of the Colorado Yurt Company.
I believe that is twin lakes, south of leadville
Wonderful setting. Nice neat looking yurt.
http://www.yurtinfo.org/yurtstory.php
For more info on yurts, including a link to the Colorado company that built this one.
Eric – you are correct. This was built for the 14ers Initiative (http://www.14ers.org/) and sits just above the lakes.
Another plus for yurts! I built one from scratch for my wife and I and our 2 kids about a year ago and have lived in it since in central Ohio. You said you didn’t like the lattice…that’s why I put 3 floor to ceiling glass windows and 2 other 5′ windows in it. 🙂 I questioned it a bit b/c in all my research I never saw anyone put that many in one. But it’s stood the test of almost any weather you could have in Ohio. Don’t know why this isn’t more common in yurts? I know they are supposed to be flexible structures, but they don’t seem to affect mine.
Hi Adam,
I’ve got a 30′ tall wall yurt built by this company in Ridgway, Colorado. I am planning on moving to it in 4 months to live year round. My concern is insulation in the winter to keep the cold out and the heat in. What are you heating with and how did you insulate yours? The windows must be beautiful, did you frame them in and are they providing passive solar heat as well as a larger view? Thank you!
Saw this picture in the sidebar and had to take a better look at it. What a beautiful landscape to have a house, but once again I wonder what the inside looks like and what the owners had to do to get permission to build a home here.
Jason, We built a yurt in the mountains of southern cali. No permit needed as it is considered a temporary structure and it doesn’t have plumbing. We put in a mini-split heat pump/AC. As considered “like a tent” they may have been able to put it up without a building permit.
You can see pics of our yurt on our website, http://www.mountainvalleyretreat.us.
beautiful!! i wonder where this is?! merry christmas, kent!
Heyy Andrew! Wow…thought I recognized the landscape. About ten years ago, i lived in the very first cabin ever built on the mountain there. It was 29 mt hope road, so your place is just a couple roads down below that if I recall. WOW…excellent job. I wonder though, having spent some serious time there in a log structure,using only a woodstove-how in the world you stay warm enough? The mountain was just beginning to get built up and populated as people bought up the lots when I left. How is it now I wonder? When i was there, only six or eight were on all of mt. hope rd. Be well!!
Are yurts safe against wildlife such as bears? I love the simplicity but curious about where they will work well. Thanks.
For those who want windows without the lattice, check out Pacific Yurts in Oregon. They offer a slightly curved window option that is quite attractive and very energy efficient. Yes, it costs more than the lattice window but it sure does make a big difference in the way the yurt feels.
Beautiful place for a yurt. The part of the world they originate from has much scenery like this.
Stunning place to live.
I think the “modern” YURTS are nice, but I think I prefer a genuine Mongolian yurt. For me, that simplicity is extremely important. Also, it is easier to keep one warm than one with windows and lack the insulative value of the felt linings. The modern yurt is a better alternative to housing than almost any other option because they truly restrict the use of materials to build. This is a truly beautiful setting and the yurt fits so naturally. I really love it. Can’t wait to have my own.
We built the 16′ “reforestation” kit yurt from Pacific yurts in 1980. We picked it up at their place and built it in my friend’s backyard in New Orleans then took it up to the Ssngre de Christo mtns. and set it up in some property I owned at 8.000′ elevation. The sun destroyed the canvas but I notice the ones now days use uv resistant fabric for the roof. The deck we built is probably still there.
Our 30-ft yurt is being built right now by Blue Ridge Yurts in Floyd, VA – we will live in it full-time with three children! They are the only company that does 10-ft walls and they will accommodate any window desires – we will have seven! You can do any size glass windows, french doors, etc.. No lattice over them. The standard package is four vinyl windows.