The Evolution of the Kestrel Yurt

November 6, 2024 Edited Loading... 6 min read

Rainier Outdoor Custom Dining Yurts

Rainier Outdoor has extraordinary capabilities that allow us to create fun custom solutions such as our dining yurts. We are beyond excited to be involved in The Yurt Village project in collaboration with American Express and Resy. Our team worked tirelessly to build custom-designed structures that allow luxurious outdoor dining during the cold, winter season. You can find our dining yurts at 15 different independent restaurant locations across the country. We interviewed a few members of our engineering team to learn more about their experience with this project. Our engineering team stated, “It’s incredible to be involved in a project that has a large impact on keeping small businesses and restaurants open during this time.” Here is a look into the process.

The Origins of the Kestrel Yurt: Design and Inspiration

The engineering process began with determining the ideal size of each yurt. While we are used to creating large glamping and live-in yurts, these customers’ circumstances lead us to create mini yurts at 8’, 10’, 12’, and 16’. Interestingly, our engineers acquired resources from an older yurt product called The Sparrow. The Sparrow was a smaller yurt option, like the Kestrel Yurt. However, our engineering team had a new vision for a “mini yurt” and decided to implement it for this project. Collecting elements from the Sparrow and Eagle Yurt drawings, the engineering team built the basic concept of the mini yurts. All yurts comprise the same components: dome, ring, lattice, walls, floor, roof, rafters, windows, doors, and platform support). The main goal was to adjust our large Rainier Outdoor yurts to fit the concept of a “mini” dining yurt.

Planning and Engineering the Kestrel Yurt: A New Approach

In the beginning, our team faced a few minor road bumps during the planning process. The first complication is the yurt ring attachment. The compression ring is the yurt’s focal point, but more importantly, an engineering component that secures the top ends of the rafters. The ring also serves as the base for the dome. Historically, our manufacturing team would screw the yurt ring into place, although our team discovered a way to make it manageable for the end-user. Now, each ring is pre-attached before shipping.

Next, working with a smaller lattice led to a few adjustments to the architecture. A yurt lattice is a wooden accordion-like wall structure that stretches around the circumference of a yurt, attaching to the platform and roof structures. This project requires a smaller lattice that wraps around the platform in a tight diameter. Our team altered the rivets in the lattice to control the bend without destroying the wood. The miniature dining yurt components have been tested for structural integrity and efficiency. This abundant design leads to an incredible product that has helped the restaurant community around the nation.

How Do the Dining Yurts Hold Up in Various Weather Conditions?

Acclaimed by Architectural Digest as an “architectural wonder”, yurts are among the strongest and most efficient structures ever created. The basic yurt design uses tension and compression to create a stable and sturdy structure. The dining yurt designs feature the same expertise and materials. Each yurt is built in a round-like perimeter, making it a great design for windy environments. In addition, Rainier uses army duck fabric for the outside of the yurt – when tightened, the yurt fabric helps the yurt remain weather safe.

A Guide to Purchasing A Kestrel Yurt

The Kestrel Yurt is a unique product that required a symbolic name. As many of you know, the name for our yurt products come from rare and exquisite bird species. The Kestrel Yurt is named after a smaller bird of the falcon genus, hearkening to its role for smaller applications in our yurt family. The Kestrel Yurt provides a compact space that offers a variety of uses, including backyard structures, festivals, or dining villages to create a private dining experience. The smaller size of these premium yurts makes them more affordable, allowing unexpected clients the freedom to choose a yurt for their project solutions. The possibilities are endless when it comes to this small structure. Purchase the Kestrel Yurt complete package today!

It is especially rewarding to see a project like this come to life. Some of the more visible projects like this are unique and fun because unexpected customers can experience our capabilities for themselves. We are in a rare position where we can complete unheard-of projects due to our in-house manufacturing capabilities and talented yurt experts. Backed by decades of experience constructing strong and efficient glamping structures, our Rainier Outdoor sales team is here to work with you to bring your dreams to reality.