Take It Year-Round

Alternative Structure Solutions

Alan Bair started his Cottage Grove, Ore.-based yurt manufacturing company in 1978. After building one with friends for him to live in while he worked on reforestation projects in Oregon, a local news article led to requests for him to build yurts for others, and the company took off.

A traditional Mongolian shelter, yurts are defined as portable, circular structures with an accordion lattice wall, tension band, radial rafters leading to a central compression ring, all covered in felt or fabric. Bair said his company's yurts are all that, but they also have evolved over the years.

He took some time recently to speak with Recreation Management about the yurt's role in alternative recreation structures:

RM: Who is your typical client, and what problems are they trying to solve?

Bair: We have a very diverse clientele, but many of them who are in the parks and recreation field need to generate revenue and want to create an overnight experience that will enhance people's lives and create lasting memories. They are looking for products that fill this need but are reasonably priced and very durable so their ROI will be short. With the trend toward glamping, yurts are often used as overnight accommodations that withstand long-term use by the public and pay for themselves pretty quickly. Additional uses include meeting space, rental/retail shops at ski areas or backcountry lodging.

RM: How are the yurts used in the recreation industry?

Bair: Campgrounds and resorts at many county, state or military recreation sites have installed yurts for overnight rentals and have seen great success in producing revenue with little advertising. That is one area where our company really helps our clients out by providing a free listing and link from the Yurt Vacations page of our website as well as promoting their rental units to the more than 67,000 followers of our Facebook page. This helps to build awareness of their offerings and get potential customers onto their website.

Sometimes smaller yurts are installed near a central bathhouse and are set up as basic sleeping accommodations, which allows people to avoid having to set up camp. They can simply walk in, set their gear down and go outside to enjoy nature. Other times larger yurts are outfitted with a kitchen, bathroom, heating and cooling systems and dining area to provide a very unique and comfortable deluxe rental unit.

RM: What makes yurts unique?

Bair: The structure's round shape not only makes it unique, but also surprisingly strong due to its lightweight structural components in a balance of compression and tension. Additional structural upgrades are available for engineered snow and wind loads. The yurt's framework is covered using durable high-tech fabrics, which means you can hear nature around you while remaining comfortable inside due to the available insulation package. Each yurt includes a central dome skylight for an abundance of natural light in the day time and stargazing opportunities at night.