The yurt design has its origins in the folk wisdom of ancient Mongolia where the prototype has, for thousands of years, been found to withstand the severe cold and violent winds of the vast grasslands called steppes. Yurts were originally the dwellings of nomadic herds-people made of wood and felt.
In the early 1970s, Bill Coperthwaite of Machiasport recognized the genius of this design and began constructing yurts suitable to our Northeast climate, out of local materials such as rough-sawn wood, steel and glass. Over the next 40 years he did much to improve this modified design.
In addition to being a yurt designer, he was an architect, homesteader and author of the award-winning book “A Handmade Life.”
Mike Iacona of Vermont worked with Coperthwaite on many yurts, and, in the wake of Coperthwaite’s passing, he continues to lead workshops in yurt building, and will be leading an upcoming workshop at Owen Farm in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, June 22 – July 4.
Owen Farm — a small, organic, family-run farm owned by Derek and Ruth Owen — will use this building as a meeting place and educational center for farm- and agricultural-related workshops and events.
The yurt will be built in honor of Coperthwaite; it’s largely his design with a few adaptations by Iacona.
Here are nine reasons to love yurts:
1. You can tell the time of day and the season of the year by the position of the sun coming through the skylight.
2. They are simple to build. The tapered-wall yurt is a democratic design that requires a minimum of carpentry skills to build.
3. They’re flooded with natural light.
4. Heat flows uninhibited through a circular space.
5. Yurts provide a more efficient ratio of exterior wall materials to interior living space than a square structure.
6. A tapered wall keeps the siding on the outside dry, while at the same time providing a comfortable back rest on the inside.
7. Many yurts are transportable — essential if you’re a nomad.
8. 360 degrees of windows enable an enhanced connection to the outside world.
9. Yurts are round like the sun, moon and the cycles of life.
Monique Lamore leads children’s yoga summer camps at Owen Farm and helps with other activities.