Celebrating a Long Time Advertiser: Yurts of Hawai‘i, LLC
“What is a yurt?” That’s a question Melissa Fletcher, owner of Yurts of Hawai‘i, LLC would often hear when she started her business more than 13 years ago. The answer? They are beautiful, strong, durable structures that are well suited to Hawai‘i’s varied climates. The largest yurt provides 706 square feet of wide-open space, which clients can customize to create a full-sized residence, guesthouse, bedroom, office, meditation room, game room, or rental– it’s a blank canvas.
“Housing is a critical issue here in the islands. My intention is to offer an affordable option for people to own a beautiful home and still avoid crippling debt and high rent,” Melissa states with conviction. “I moved here in 2005 with a background in emergency medicine and had worked serving as the hands for a quadriplegic doctor for several years. I attended the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, and before I graduated, I was working with the homeless population for my practicum when I realized how many displaced people had simply been ‘priced out’ of renting. Even during a construction boom, many families in our communities were not finding housing.”
Melissa looked at many types of affordable housing and knew she had discovered what she was looking for when she came across the concept of yurts. She vetted the quality of every major yurt manufacturer in North America and found the Colorado Yurt Company. “Partnering with Colorado Yurts was one of the best decisions I could have made. They had nearly 40 years of experience behind them, major integrity, and a willingness to collaborate with us to make quality improvements for Hawai‘i climates. Together we met local codes and began implementation of nationwide standards in the yurt industry through the formation of the organization NAYA (North American Yurt Alliance).”
Yurts are an ancient, brilliant design. A tension structure originating about 3,000 years ago among the nomadic people of Mongolia and other groups from Central Asia, they are still in use today in the region as a mainstay in familial dwellings. Nearly 50 years ago, Bill Coperthwaite brought the concept of yurts to the US. For four decades he participated in building more than 300 yurts for family homes, schools, camps, and outbuildings, including one in Kāne‘ohe, O‘ahu for a hospital in the 1970’s.
As Coperthwaite’s handcrafted yurts gained in popularity, a few North American craftsmen and women were inspired by his work and began experimenting with yurt designs. The Colorado Yurt Company founders, Dan and Emma Kigar, are two of those pioneers. They found a way to utilize modern-day materials while keeping to the ancient design.
Yurts of Hawai‘i, LLC specializes in yurt construction. Whether it is a simple off-grid structure or a fully permitted, stunning, residential yurt, Yurts of Hawai‘i benefits clients by assisting in management of all phases of construction, tailoring services to fit their clients’ needs.
With more than 200 yurts built on this island alone in her 13 years in business, Melissa shares, “Sales are a byproduct of doing what we love to do. We strive to provide information about these awesome structures and stay persistent in our mission to show how yurts are structures that serve incredibly well here in Hawai‘i. These days, we rarely hear the question, ‘What’s a yurt?’ More often, we see a spark of happy recognition at the mention of the word. That lets me know we’ve done a good job.”
Melissa, her husband Jupiter, a fourth generation Hawai‘i Islander born and raised in Kalōpā, and their daughter, live in Volcano near their showroom which is located on Highway 11 near Akatsuka Orchids. Follow them at Facebook.com/YurtsHawaii/ or check out their website.
Yurts of Hawai‘i, LLC
11-3137 Volcano Rd, Volcano, HI 96785
808.985.9715
yurtshawaii@gmail.com
yurtsofhawaii.com
