Eco-Friendly Yurts for Hire

Harking back to a time before central heating and double-glazed windows, the humble yurt could be the eco-friendly dwelling of tomorrow

Natalie Irvine is a social entrepreneur who handcrafts environmentally friendly yurts - tepees with a difference. Her creations have been hired by the likes of the organisers of the Glasgowbury Music Festival to house star attractions such as Ash (pictured above) in VIP luxury.

Irvine's company is a fairly new one, full of fresh ideas and operating as a not for profit. Her website is Neck of the Woods.org where you can get more information about how to get back to your roots and indulge yourself in the leafy side of life.

For those of us who don’t know, can you tell us what a yurt is?

A yurt is a round shaped portable dwelling that has been used for thousands of years in central Asia. In countries such as Mongolia and Krygyztan yurts are still used for people’s homes.

When did you first decide that you wanted to make yurts? What inspired you?

I heard of yurts in September 2007 through a conversation I had with a community worker who had used them in council estates in Lambeth. She said they were a real success and I was like 'what’s a yurt again?’ That evening I Googled yurts to find many wonderful pictures of them which inspired me. But it was a couple of months later when I actually thought, hey I want to build these things!

Did you have a background in handicrafts?

I never had any previous experience working with wood successfully. I think we did woodwork for a term at junior high but I was the slow one in the class on that front and didn’t even get the simple design of a wooden pencil case finished.

I learnt the craft in January 2007 in a very comprehensive yurt making course in Cornwall. It’s fairly easy to pick up, you just need determination and to ignore the pain, cuts and blisters you get when your hands are hardening due to the intensive use of hand tools and rope.

Tell us about the first yurt that you made?

The first yurt I made was a 14ft structure. The walls were made from willow I sourced in Essex just before I moved back to Northern Ireland, and the roof was made from wood I sourced in County Antrim. All the wood I gather and utilise is from managed and sustainable woodland. It’s the most eco-friendly for structure to hire in Northern Ireland, no question.

It's very special to me, my first yurt, I call him Bert. It was really hard work getting it ready for my first hire order. I am well on my way in completing my next yurt which is going to be a 21ft structure. This one seems a whole lot easier somehow, even though it’s bigger. All the wood for this new bigger yurt I have sourced in Northern Ireland and I have managed to keep it very local.

Who bought your first commercially viable yurt?

No one bought my yurt. I don’t sell them, I just hire them out.

What type of occasions are yurts suitable for?

Christening parties, birthday parties, festival boutique camping, hip VIP area, eco classrooms... I could go on! They're easy to transport, put up and take down. They're much sturdier than a marquee and you don’t need to use ropes to peg them down. Plus they're warm in the winter as I have a wood burning stove that I install in the yurt. Very cosy.

When did you form your company?

I formed the company in June 2008 as a community interest company (CIC). So it’s not for profit. I had experience working with CIC’s in London so that’s how I heard about them. There wasn’t too much help available to me to set up the constitution though. It would have been great to really talk through all the possibilities in depth but that support didn’t seem available to me at the time.

What is your ethos?

Probably no surprise here but I have a few: be honest and generous in whatever way you can; if it doesn’t feel right in your gut don’t do it; believe in your ideas but be selective and don’t run away with them all. I don’t believe in sickening people with marketing. If someone really wants it they will find it.

What type of people do you work with?

I am the only official company employee but members of my family and some friends have really helped get my business to the stage it is now. I have worked in collaboration this year with Amy Lamé, Rockpool Candy and Bruised Fruit Promotions on a few fun things.

Paddy Glasgow has been a bit of a beacon for me as he was one of my first bookings and has really spread the word on the festival front. He has time for everybody and I really hope I can return him the favour in some way. Perhaps I’ll get a ‘Yurtstock’ going at the next Glasgowbury!

Are yurts your future or do you plan to branch out into other things?

I like the term you used there, branch! Basically I feel like a tree sometimes, as I branch out into everything! I love writing and so do a bit of that. I love contemporary design and now I have started working with wood I have started having ideas about making lampshade stands and shelves. I love shelves. I am big into storage and I love looking at new storage concepts.

I also love organizing events so would like to develop that skill and organize some wacky stuff that makes people go, 'Wow this is crazy, but I’m having a really good time here!' If you come across a bar/café/shop space with crazy storage in the next 10 years its probably going to have something to do with me. But yes, I want to be remembered as the lady that officially brought yurts to Northern Ireland so of course I would like to develop the concept further. I don’t think I can shake them off because every time I drive past a tree, I’m like, 'Mmm, that would make a good roof pole'.

What advice would you give to any budding young entrepreneurs in Northern Ireland?

Whatever job you are in, aim to get as much from it as you can. If there is a training course offered get on it. Develop your skills, build your confidence, and then start writing down at least 10 ideas everyday, that’s a must! My advice first though is get saving and ditch any of those nasty credit cards.

If you really want follow your dream, prepare yourself that you may have to sell all of your possessions to get there. Learn to live off fresh air. Don’t be reckless with your marketing budget. If you have an imagination do something unusual to get attention, it doesn’t have to cost the earth. Having a good imagination is equivalent to getting an extra £20,000+ a year onto your marketing budget. And when you do deliver a service be sure to surprise your customer with a really excellent service by thinking about the detail. Word of mouth marketing is the best marketing you can get.

Anne-Marie Marquess