|| Bill Coperthwaite || Yurt Builders ||
William S. Coperthwaite is the first North American Yurt builder developer of the modern day yurt. He is responsible for adapting the ancient skin and frame traditional Mongolian yurt to a western sawn timber frame design. He also developed the first lattice roof design built back in the early 60's with poles and birch bark. He did this on the grounds of the Yurt Foundation-his home on the coast of Maine. Bill is David Raitt's mentor and is the original American Yurt imagineer. Bill has created more versions of the yurt than anyone. A doctor in education at Harvard, Bill has and continues to inspire many of us through his seminars and lectures, writings and interviews. Bill shares the ancient wisdom handed down to him through his hands on approach to research with the Eskimo, Laplander and traditional craftsman throughout the world. His Yurt Plans and Yurt Calenders help fund this research and support the Yurt Foundation.
The North American Yurt Builders:
How the Yurt Builders are interconnected: by David Raitt
In 1968 at age 16 I became aware of the Yurt from my friend Marc Hansen. We were a part of an experimental high school called the Study Travel Community School founded by Dick Hiler, a pioneer in education and a Quaker who also founded East-West Seminars Abroad. Dick was responsible for exposing teenagers to life behind the Iron Curtain with East Germans, Russians and draft dodgers living in Sweden. I heard about Dick through my sister Bonnie who went on his summer trip in 1966. I later went to Russia on another trip in 1968. Upon my return Dick opened up a year round experimental high school.
Dick solicited his long-time friend and fellow educator Bill Coperthwaite to build a base for this new school with Bill's new Yurt designs on donated land in New Hampshire. Bill, at the time, was preparing his doctorate thesis at Harvard and had already published, in plan form, his unique slant wall sawn timber chevron roof yurt.
When I walked into the kitchen of the temporary facility we were using for the school, Marc Hansen pointed to this plan which was up on the wall. It displayed a cupcade shaped sod covered yurt, complete with a mouse eating a piece of cheese. Alongside the Material List were quotes from Bill, such as: "Evil spirits dwell in corners", referring to the mouse, and . . . "If you are having a hard time figuring this plan out, go have a swim and come back with a clearer head". It was at this point that my life as a yurt builder, dweller and imagineer began!
Marc Hansen and I formed an acoustic rock and blues band with a Latin jazz and funk bent. Marc and I helped Bill erect the yurt on Harvard Square and another at the University of Mass., and attended workshops Bill gave at the Cox Family farm near Haverall, Mass. We learned how to construct and design yurts from Bill and worked as his Yurt consultants building two Yurt Village bases. The first was the 'first of its kind' in the U.S. (and also my first home) in Franklin, New Hampshire and the other Yurt Village, the 2nd of its kind, in Bowdenham, Maine was for the Study-Travel Community School.
We disbanded the school idea by 1971 and started a Yurt Commune, and called ourselves "The Yurt People." A local fiddle player and musician, and league of New Hampshire leather Craftsman Joe Ryan so generously allowed us to occupy his land with our school, village and commune with a $1.00 per year lease agreement.
In 1971 Marc and I formed our first company, "Synergic Designs International", with Bruno Le Fevre, a Tuffs University architectural student. We contracted with Bill's Yurt Design Inc. to construct a third Yurt Village. This village is still in use today. At that time it was built for the American Crafts Council, and later it was used for crafts education by The National Park Service in Glen Echo Park, Maryland (just off the Beltway on the Potomac river in Washington D.C.).
Marc and I, at the end of that contract, spun off to build our own version of the slant wall yurt using frame panel walls. We paid a design fee to Bill for use of his chevron roof design on each unit and built over 70 projects throughout New England between 1969 and 1972. Marc and I and our fellow communards sold the Yurts complete with sod on roof to numerous folks in the surrounding area, and migrated west in 1972 to Potter Valley, CA on Mid Mountain and formed the "Yurt Peoples Church," our new tax-exempt non-profit camp.
David acquired a sawmill and logged bug-killed pine and built yurts from this material (and other salvaged 'pier 39' and 'old barn' wood) to build his 4th Yurt Village in America. (We disbanded the church in 1974, and David married Annie Raitt and started a family.) In 1976 Marc, Annie and David started Vital Designs with the help of David's sister Bonnie, and built the First American Yurt shop for his designs in Talmage. It is still in use today.
Bill Coperthwaite gave Yurt workshops at the Cox Family farm. Chuck Cox started the first Fabric Yurt Company in the Western World in the late 60's and had the first Yurt workshop in this country. You could buy a 20' diameter tent fabric covered Yurt over a riveted lattice wall frame with rafter poles,center ring hub, skylight and wood door for under $1,200. Chuck later went on to other pursuits.
Len Charney, author of "The Yurt Book," ran a limited issue of a handbook with sketched and black and white photos of a riveted lattice wall and roof yurt. To my knowledge this is the first and only book ever that is published devoted exclusively to yurts.
In the mid seventies Charlie Crawford caught the yurt bug and with his humorous outlook started Centering Shelterworks in Portland, Oregon. Charlie built a lot of fabric lattice wall yurts and furthered the design with his frame hub and rafter system. He built several for the Hoedad Co-operative Corp. Treeplanting Company and had a shop into the early 80's. He often set up his yurt next to the Vital Designs Yurt at many home shows and Whole Earth Fairs in California. He also, as Chuck Cox before him, eventually went on to other pursuits.
Allen and Elizabeth Baire and partners picked up the ball from Charlie and started Pacific Yurts in Cottage Grove, Oregon building the fabric lattice wall yurts. Allen and his partners, for a brief time, were also under contract with Vital Designs to build our then popular 15' slant wall panel frame yurt, "The Nomad." Allen soon found his heart in the fabric and lattice frame yurt and has continued to develop the portable yurt to it's highest standard. See www.yurt.com
My one-time friend Morgan Reiter and I met while he was an architectural student at Goddard College in Vermont. Morgan helped Marc and I in the early seventies to build several of Bill Coperthwaite's designed yurts. He later started his own company in Oregon called The Oregon Yurtworks. Morgan never met Bill Coperthwaite, and he established an independent relationship early on using both my designs and Bill's designs. From 1979 to 1983 Morgan was brought into a design lease agreement for a small percentage of his gross sales with Vital Designs, showing prospective clients Vital Designs work in California with our permission to secure work for his company in Oregon. After a slow start, Morgan decided not to renew his contract with us. He remains independent. I miss our friendship and I continue to refer work in Oregon to his company. See www.yurtworks.com
Morgan was asked by me to help Allen and Elizabeth Baire, principal owners of Vital Designs, to build their Vital Designs concentric yurt home in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Morgan was trained to build this design in exchange for his labor while under contract with Vital Designs. After falling out of contract with Vital Designs, Morgan contracted in the late 80's this same design, building a home in Santa Cruz, California with the help of Oregon architect, Moreen Belle. Moreen Belle later in the early 90's came under contract with Vital Designs in Maui, Hawaii for a better part of a year to sell Vital Designs' Yurts in Hawaii.
In 1978, my first wife Annie Raitt and I bought out Marc Hansen's interest in Vital Designs. In the early 80's we met Mike Shepperd, who is from Australia, while he was on retreat at Esalen Institute. We were building some staff housing sod covered yurts, and Mike volunteered to help organize a crew of workscholars to carry yurt frame components and rolls of sod up the hill, and to help erect the several yurts we brought down from our shop in Ukiah. He was so impressed that he came home with us to learn more about yurts.
Soon after his return home to Australia he hired me to come visit his farm two hours outside of Sidney. While there I converted his sheep shearing shed into a seasonal Yurt Factory and trained him on how to manufacture our 15' yurt. Pierre Horn, a Frenchman cabinet maker who volunteered until we hired him on at our shop in Talmage, learned all he could about yurts and eventually became the head shop foreman of the California Yurtworks. Pierre represented Vital Designs while living at Mike's farm for 1/2 year and trained several of Mike's workers on how to manufacture several different Vital Designs yurts.
The Gaulburn Yurtworks has continued under contract with Vital Designs. He has a 20,000 square ft. shop complete with several model home yurts, and a family solar Yurt Village Camp at his farm in Gaulburn, The Gunningbar Yurt Farm. Mike has constructed in N.S.W. over 500 yurts to date. He is a dear friend and is responsible for introducing yurts to the southern hemisphere. Mike can be contacted on the web at www.yurtwork.com.au
From 1979 to 1986 The California Yurtworks was a partnership of builders who manufactured and installed over 400 Vital Designs Yurts. Together in partnership with Vital Designs we would attend home shows throughout northern California. Vital Designs would handle sales, marketing, design, and bidding the jobs; then contract the manufacturing and installation to The California Yurtworks. The Yurtworks were a group of the more creative builders and contractors around at the time. Together, Eric Idarius, Ed Keller, John Evans, Pierre Horn, Wendy Jackson, David Raitt, Bob Dress and Peter Armstrong made up the California Yurtworks.
At one point, we spun off the manufacturing of our popular 15' Yurt to the Round Mountain community. After 40 units we took back the contract. Our mother, office manager, and dear friend Eileen Brophy kept us fed, and managed the office for both Vital Designs, and (working with Ed Keller)for the Yurt Works.
In 1984 California Yurtworks disbanded, and Vital Designs and two partners from California Yurtworks, Peter Armstrong and Bob Dress, joined as investors with the Raitts to form California Yurts, Inc. We set up a 1500 square ft. two story model home complete with handicap access on Rt. 101 next to the Redwood Health Club.
In 1986 we moved both our manufacturing and sales to Hopland, Ca, 12 miles south of Ukiah, directly on the two lane portion of Rt. 101. We constructed the world's largest 81 ft. diameter yurt workshop. It is 37' from floor to skylight with a mandalla lit roof, 8' overhangs, two opposing 22- sliding door panels, and a two story office inside on one end. These yurts are located directly across Rt. 101 from the new Real Goods Solar Center.
In 1987 the Raitts went to New Zealand to train Bret and Clayton Gibson on how to manufacture a 93 unit alpine village, using one of our popular 1000 square ft. two bedroom yurt home 31'/41' multi-diameter Yurts. While there we constructed the first New Zealand yurt. The Gibsons are still working under a Design contract and are at present digging themselves out from the dust of the eruption last year of Mt. Ruapao.
In 1988 we built the first Nautilus yurt, a mini home, 755 square ft. yurt, with 3 different diameters sharing a central skylight. We used this as our model showcase, with parking under in the flood zone, complete with a handicap ramp and grape arbor entry.
In 1989 we subdivided and sold three parcels, and developed the first Yurt Village subdivision in the western world. Six 41' two story tower yurts, three and four bedroom units with decks and landscaping, and parking under. These units incorporated our "Friendly House System" tm, which uses the most earth friendly materials availible. They are renewable, safe to make and healthy to live with. These 1,320 sq ft. units are super insulated and boast a combined water, gas, and electric bill average of under $45 per month annually. These units are complete with central heat, air conditioning, dishwasher, and laundry. And are HUD approved. ( see US Department of Housing and Urban Delvelopment)
In 1990 I liquidated our holdings in Hopland, and removed the model home Nautilus from Hopland to set it up as a guest house on my property in Talmage. I then moved the California Yurts manufacturing back to Redwood Valley and have sold, manufactured and contracted an average of four Yurt homes and 10 smaller Yurts per year to present day.
In 1993 we helped start Island Yurtswork and built our first two story 31'/41'/51' off-the-grid solar yurt for The Olmsteds on Orcas Island in Washington. I have this past year nearly completed a major 1200 square ft addition and upgrade to my 20 year old Yurt model home in Talmage. Which is now 3600 sq. ft. with four bedrooms, an office/music studio, and three baths.
From 1991 to 1992 I took a work leave and married Kelly. I recorded and co-produced my first cassette "Friendship Stew" with friend Toni Rutledge, a family rap/blues/pop album available at local stores.
From 1993 to present I have helped raise my third son Eli and have written and recorded my second cassette " Edge of the Forest" with the New Mendocino Allstars. In 1995, I released with the help of my 2nd wife Kelly and lumber supplier/friend Steve Ahl. In 1997 we sent two 40' containers with two yurt homes to Japan, and a distributor "California Yurts Japan Sales"
My first CD "David Raitt: Take A Chance." It is available for review
and purchase on the World Wide Web through Russian River records. As well as
a new release last year on BlueRockIt
records "That's It". A great R&B blues album with longtime
Jimmy T. on guitar. Visit Russian River records at www.riverrox.com
.
In 1997 Vital Designs built two Yurt homes for the Kaoiki Family in Shuzoka Japan.
We established a sales and installation company Manufactured products made in California
as California Yurts Japan. We constructed over a 3 month period two Multi Radius homes. An amazing experience. We shared our techniques with our hosts and trained them
as to how to install our product in Japan.
In 1999 we started
Mountain Statuary and imported
2 containers full of Black Stone carvings from Java and Teak furniture
from Bali into the U.S. Many of these statues can be seen at Kiva house in Santa
Cruz and at Orr Springs resort as well as at our model home and offices here
in Ukiah.
In 2001 our factory
burned to the ground in an industrial fire which burned all 17 buisnesses including ours by a accidental ignition, by we think a barbeque on a wood pile by one of the tenants of
the park. We re-located to a larger facility next to a fire hydrant
in a steel building. After
re-building both our factory and the inventory over
a 3 month period we completed Fern Village in Orr Springs resort in the
hills above Ukiah. Adding 5 16' yurts to their facility.
In 2003 to present we moved to our present site at 2101 Wellmar Drive
Ukiah. We are currently in Escrow to buy this
property with it's large wharehouse and
yard. We plan on constructing
a new shop on the rear portion
of the property. We currently have
a new sales office Yurt for Both Vital designs and Mountain Statuary as well as for our new
Company Haiku Development.
Haiku is set up to design, Build and finance Green Developments as well as high speed internet for the Ukiah Area.
In 2004 After
the loss of my mother 7 months
earlier to Alziemers my beloved father John Raitt passed away after his 82nd birthday from congenital heart desease.
Before and during this passing I was building
a family and corporate retreat
in Baja California In Pescadero near Todos Santos on the
pacific ocean between Cabo and
La Paz.
In 2006 while
in retreat for 4 months in Baja my Wife Kelly and 12 year old son Ely and I
completed our latest of 2 cd's due out later in 2006 year on Russian River records
riverrox.com . David Raitt and
Family "Heart Warriors" is dedicated to the memory Marge Goddard
my mom. This work includes my Son Ely's debut song "I need you too much" as
well as other grooves R&B and
country Rock as wel las some blues. One
song was co-written by my dear friend and Spanish teacher and healer Antonio Aroyo.
My Co-Author Rob Goodfelow and I completed the manuscipt for our upcoming book
"To Yurt" We hope to publish early next year. To Yurt the Verb definition:
"To dwell in circles with social design"
In 2006 we are completing the CD "Swangin" This project has been a work in progress for several years. Swing Blues, Some light jazz with a country swing feel.
"Tick's Suck" a blues about lyme desease and "Forest
Forever" are nice additions to our cd library with
the help of Mark Ford and
Marilyn DeFrange and a song written by Star James "Don't take the Love"
I'm excited about the future of The California Yurt Company and look forward to building our new product line. The Yurt People Book development is underway and the phone lines are busy with new work possibilities.
If you have land and would like to make an appointment to see a yurt and or to buy a yurt and join our circle of friends, please sign in, get on our mailing list and call me at: 1-888-CAL YURT (225-9878)
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Vital Designs P.O. Box 18 Talmage, California 95481 U.S.A. |
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CALL 888-cal-yurt (707) 468-0876 |
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©2006 |
