Yurts: Living in the Round (Paperback)

by Becky Kemery (Author) "Karie Knoke needed a house but didn't have time to build one..." (more)
Key Phrases: fabric yurt, tapered wall yurt, frame panel yurt, Bill Coperthwaite, Central Asian, Pacific Yurts (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Becky Kemery's Yurts: Living in the Round is to books what a home run with three players on base is to baseball! It couldn't be better than this! Becky's book is full of practical information that's written in a clear and concise prose. It's packed with beautiful photographs and is graced by delightful stories of people who have made their next home a yurt. I highly recommend this book to anyone who's pondering ways to live more sustainably on this precious Earth. -- Daniel D. Chiras, Ph.D., Author of The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy, The New Ecological Home, The Solar House, The Natural House, Superbia! 31 Ways to Create Sustainable Neighborhoods, and The Natural Plaster Book

Becky Kemery's book Yurts; Living in the Round is like a good meal; well prepared, visually stimulating, flavorful, easy to digest, nourishing (both physically and spiritually) and above all validating. I realized how much the concept of designing and living in round spaces validates much of the emphasis in our work when building with earthbags, especially below ground. Validating because it reinforces natures basic design principles; round is sound. Square may be fair but round is sound. In a round house you will never feel cornered. I can't wait to build one on top of a (round!) Earthbag root cellar! -- Kaki Hunter and Donald Kiffmeyer, Authors of Earthbag Building; The Tools, Tricks and Techniques, Published by New Society Publisher

Want to know what it is like to live in a yurt? Than Becky Kemery's delightfully-illustrated and well-researched book is for you. The typical yurt is a portable, tent-like round structure distinguished by unique roof construction. Long spans achieved without intermediate supports create airy spaces that impart a sense of openness and connection. A hole or skylight in the center of the roof invites the sun in and the occupants' gaze skyward.

The yurt dwelling experience is described beginning with ancient, nomadic Turkic and Mongolian tribes in central Asia - the origin of these distinctive shelters. The Turkic tribes refer to their round homes as an uy and the Mongolians call theirs a ger. Out of necessity and custom, portable yurts were, and still are, made from locally available wood and wool felt and usually sized to fit on the backs of pack animals. Yurts are more than a means of shelter for Mongolian and some Turkic tribes. They are considered sacred places and express the world views of people living in close connection with the cycles of life.

Some contemporary renditions of yurts have evolved into permanent structures. The tapered wall yurt pioneered by Bill Coperthwaite and the frame panel yurt designed by David Raitt are made of wood and set on permanent foundations. Plentiful color photos in Yurts: Living in the Round describe these unique structures and help tell the stories of their creators.

Even the modern fabric yurt can last many years and be used as permanent shelter. Author Becky Kemery shares her personal experiences of yurt living as well as practical considerations she has learned from others. She gives suggestions on choosing, buying, setting up, insuring, and maintaining a fabric yurt. A complete resource guide offers information on yurt companies, financing, plans, as well as homesteading and sustainable living.

More than a how-to guide, Yurts: Living in the Round documents intangible benefits of yurt living. The welcoming embrace of the yurt's open, round space gives a sense of well-being and wholeness. People are naturally brought together in a circle which fosters connection and equality. "Yurts are my favorite form of shelter," wrote the author. "They use the earth's resources wisely and usually leave a small footprint. They are affordable and accessible. I also think they make fabulous spiritual and creative spaces." -- Cherie Peacock, Out There Monthly

Want to know what it is like to live in a yurt? Than Becky Kemery's delightfully-illustrated and well-researched book is for you. The typical yurt is a portable, tent-like round structure distinguished by unique roof construction. Long spans achieved without intermediate supports create airy spaces that impart a sense of openness and connection. A hole or skylight in the center of the roof invites the sun in and the occupants' gaze skyward.

The yurt dwelling experience is described beginning with ancient, nomadic Turkic and Mongolian tribes in central Asia - the origin of these distinctive shelters. The Turkic tribes refer to their round homes as an uy and the Mongolians call theirs a ger. Out of necessity and custom, portable yurts were, and still are, made from locally available wood and wool felt and usually sized to fit on the backs of pack animals. Yurts are more than a means of shelter for Mongolian and some Turkic tribes. They are considered sacred places and express the world views of people living in close connection with the cycles of life.

Some contemporary renditions of yurts have evolved into permanent structures. The tapered wall yurt pioneered by Bill Coperthwaite and the frame panel yurt designed by David Raitt are made of wood and set on permanent foundations. Plentiful color photos in Yurts: Living in the Round describe these unique structures and help tell the stories of their creators.

Even the modern fabric yurt can last many years and be used as permanent shelter. Author Becky Kemery shares her personal experiences of yurt living as well as practical considerations she has learned from others. She gives suggestions on choosing, buying, setting up, insuring, and maintaining a fabric yurt. A complete resource guide offers information on yurt companies, financing, plans, as well as homesteading and sustainable living.

More than a how-to guide, Yurts: Living in the Round documents intangible benefits of yurt living. The welcoming embrace of the yurt's open, round space gives a sense of well-being and wholeness. People are naturally brought together in a circle which fosters connection and equality. "Yurts are my favorite form of shelter," wrote the author. "They use the earth's resources wisely and usually leave a small footprint. They are affordable and accessible. I also think they make fabulous spiritual and creative spaces." (Cherie Peacock Out There Monthly )

Product Description
Yurts: Living in the Round journeys from Central Asia to modern America and reveals the history, evolution, and contemporary benefits of yurt living. One of the oldest forms of indigenous shelter still in use today, yurts have exploded into the twenty-first century as a multi-faceted, thoroughly modern, utterly versatile, and immensely popular modern structure whose possibilities are still being explored. Kemery introduces the innovators who redesigned the yurt and took it from back country trekking and campground uses to modern permanent homes and offices.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 146 pages
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith; 1 edition (October 11, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1586858912
• ISBN-13: 978-1586858919
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #79,480 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Contemporary Benefits of Living in a Yurt, December 10, 2006

By	Rebecca Johnson "SeasonedwithLove.com" (Washington State) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

"The healing, creative, communal, and spiritual nature of yurts is broadly recognized. Yurts seem especially suited to certain pursuits." ~ pg. 13

Why do people dream more when they live in a yurt? Why is the oldest form of indigenous shelter still being built today? Have you always dreamed about living in a round house because it makes you feel more peaceful? Walk into any room that has a circular design and notice how you react.

"Yurts: Living in the Round" takes this research many steps further to the point of answering these questions:

Which yurt would be best for your lifestyle?
Where to find a yurt builder or should you do it yourself?
How should you determine which floor plan to use?

Case studies and personal stories of yurt dwellers are explored and pictures throughout paint a picture of a peaceful lifestyle lived in natural settings. Some of the pictures show doors of a Mongolian ger, painted in bright colors. There are treehouse yurts, wooden yurts, fabric yurts, camping yurts and communal yurts. One snow covered yurt looks like an igloo. A gorgeous picture of a yurt with light glowing from the center is shown against a luminous emerald background of northern lights.

I've always been fascinated by the idea of living in a building shaped like a tower, but maybe what I truly love is just a round building with the feeling of open space and lots of windows. Many of the yurts featured in this book have been adapted into modern designs and one in particular shows how you can adapt a yurt to a variety of living spaces. Furnishings, hanging fabrics and screens create private spaces that look very romantic. I love the idea of the freedom of living in one big space because walls between the rooms often feel restrictive.

If you love rooms where the kitchen flows to the living room with high ceilings, yurts may truly appeal to you. A garden yurt also sounds appealing as a writing escape or artist studio. This book takes you from the history of yurts all the way to very modern applications for the yurt design.

The author lives in a yurt in Idaho, surrounded by herb and vegetable gardens. Through the years she has lived in four different yurts in three states and now offers her advice and wisdom to anyone who wants to experience this lifestyle.

~The Rebecca Review

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Comprehensive, March 16, 2007

By	Kelly Hart "GreenHomeBuilding.com" (Crestone, CO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ever since I first heard that Becky Kemery was writing a book about Yurts I have been looking forward to having it in my hands. The wait has definitely been worth it, now that I can see how fully realized her idea has become. Yurts: Living in the Round was published in 2006 by Gibbs Smith, and is the definitive source of information about anything to do with yurts. Not only that, it is also a fine piece of art in its own right; nearly every page is graced with carefully laid out color photos and drawings. Becky's writing is both clear and well researched.

Becky writes, "Most yurts are portable, tent-like structures. They have circular lattice walls (reminiscent of baby gates tied together) and a cone-shaped roof supported by rafters that meet in a center ring. The outer fabric shell of the yurt can be made of felted wool, coated canvas, or a modern architectural fabric. An ever-increasing number of wooden structures are also called yurts. What defines them as yurts and not just round houses? The Answer lies in the yurt's uncommon roof structure."

"The yurt roof incorporates a unique architectural design. Roof struts meet in a center ring, producing inward and downward pressure. This center ring holds the rafters an a state of compression. Where the struts meet the wall at the perimeter, a natural outward thrust occurs. A band (of rope, woven cloth, or wire cable) a the top of the wall holds the wall and roof poles in tension against this outward pressure. Because of this...long roof spans are possible without any internal support system (like posts, trusses, or beams). This gives the yurt an uncommon feeling of spaciousness and uplift. the roof design also creates an incredibly strong and resilient structure that is uniquely equipped to withstand earthquakes, strong winds, and heavy snow loads."

The historical evolution of the modern yurt from its origins with the nomadic Central Asian tribes is carefully outlined. Both the Mongolian Ger and the Turkic Uy are the forerunners of what we now call the yurt. How these tribal folks traditionally make and decorate their portable homes is both fascinating and colorful. This process is generally a group effort and often involves painstakingly felting the wool to make the covering. The traditional pattern of living within this circular space is surprisingly similar to Native American traditional use of space within a hogan, with various family members and guests having their appropriate places.

One of the early modern adaptations of the traditional yurt design was Bill Copperwaite's "tapered wall yurt." These are wooden structures that incorporate the same roof design, but modify the vertical walls to incline outward, giving them a distinctly oriental flare. Bill has been exploring these interesting shapes since the early 1960's, and has come up with quite a variety of forms, including some with concentric tiers of yurts within yurts. Some of them have scalloped butterfly-like roofs; others have gothic arches that surround the perimeter.

The modern fabric yurt is more like its nomadic predecessor, in most ways, except that modern canvas or synthetic fabric replaces the felted wool. Becky chronicles how various people have adapted the original designs to suit modern needs in a variety of climates. Many of the new yurts have central plastic dome skylights and windows that let in lots of light, making them much more open and airy than the darker, womb-like nomadic yurts.

Many of the folks who have experimented with building their own yurts have gone on to make a business of supplying yurt kits for the general public. Becky suggests how to locate and evaluate these yurt companies, and describes various ways that yurts can be adapted for personal needs, such having a bathroom, porch, heater, etc. She even addresses the issues of financing and insuring yurts, and dealing with building code officials.

Another modern adaptation to the traditional yurt is called the "frame panel" yurt. These are much more permanent dwellings than their fabric cousins, and can appear as very solid indeed. They are often prefabricated off-site and shipped to the site for erection. Becky interviewed various people who have lived in these unique homes and shares many insights that could help others who do the same.

The chapter titled "Living in the Round" philosophically evaluates the merits of doing this. Becky writes, "The flexible open space of a yurt is an interior design canvas waiting for the creative expression of each yurt inhabitant. What remains constant is the welcoming embrace of the space, the interaction between inner and outer worlds, and the roof structure that lifts our vision skyward. The yurt also has an inherent ability to bring people together into a circle, which naturally engenders connection and cooperation."

The final portion of the book has several appendices that explore building codes, platform construction, and wood stove installation. There is also an extensive resource guide here for yurt companies, yurt plans, and other media. Becky's website about yurts, [...], is another resource providing additional information.

I heartily recommend this book to anyone interested in simple, sustainable living, enduring vernacular architecture, or the possibilities inherent in living in the round.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and the best Yurt book, July 14, 2007

By	MotherLodeBeth "MotherLodeBeth" (Sierras of California) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

The author has lived in various yurts in enough states to have some wisdom to share since climates can change and a yurt in the dessert is different than one high in the Sierras or Rockies where the temperatures can get well below freezing. She writes of the history of yurt dwellers and how modern fabrics here in the states make yurts weather proof in most areas and livable homes year round.

As a member of the Small House Society I am looking for a variety of small house choices and yurts and boats are at the top of my dream list.

Her examples also show the modern yurt like the ones here in the Sierras that all have windows, skylights, doors and most amenities one can find in a small modern home. Read other 5 star reviews who tell you even more. Excellent book.