Designed by Architects, Made by Hand in Ontario
At Yurta, we design four-season yurts and make every one to order in our workshop near Oshawa, Ontario. We’re a small, family-owned team. We stand behind each yurt personally.
- 2004 Making yurts since 2004
- 750+ More than 750 sold
- Ontario Handmade in Ontario
- 17 ft · 21 ft 17 ft and 21 ft models
- Worldwide Ships worldwide
A Canadian Yurt Maker Since 2004
It started in 2004 at a rural studio in the Lanark Highlands, near Ottawa. That’s where our founders designed and built the first Yurta.
A Yurta is a contemporary interpretation of the traditional Mongolian yurt, adapted for four seasons in North America. Production eventually settled in our workshop near Oshawa. Every Yurta is still made there.
Twenty-two years in, we still design, develop, test, manufacture, and improve Yurta. As architects, makers, artists, poets, and dreamers, these little shelters continue to inspire us.
The Architects and Makers Behind Yurta
Yurta was founded by architects, and it has been family-owned since 2004. A small team makes every yurt in our own workshop. Independent local shops help with a few specialised parts.
Patrick Ladisa, President
Patrick fell in love with Yurta the first time he saw one. He leads the company today as President.
Marcin Padlewski and Anissa Szeto-Padlewski, Our Founders
Marcin and Anissa started Yurta in 2004.
It Isn't Just About the Shape
It isn’t just about the shape! We say that a lot.
Traditional Mongolian yurts, known in Mongolia as the ger, are among the most ingenious structures people have designed. Other modern yurts kept the round shape and dropped the structure that made the ger work.
Yurta respects the oral traditions and cultures that kept this design alive. We design Yurta to stay faithful to that tradition throughout, with added function for North American weather.
A Yurta is a true tent. It’s light but strong. It carries 3 feet of snow and stands up to winds over 100 km/h. And it’s a beautiful space right out of the box, the kind of room you want to spend time in.
We have a mad love affair with yurts.
What Sets a Yurta Apart
Breathable all the way through, with cover and insulation both, and designed for a humid climate.
Almost every yurt made in North America is insulated with bubble wrap. Not ours.
100% wool felt insulation with a radiant backing.
Yurta is the only manufacturer using it. The result is breathable thermal and radiant insulation in a yurt.
A clear, open interior.
No centre posts in either model.
A machined hardwood frame that sets up without a single screw or nail.
No vinyl. Anywhere.
Large windows and an unobstructed skylight that opens smoothly on a gas spring.
No awkward screw mechanism to wrestle with.
Two Sizes, on Purpose
Yurta comes in two sizes, 17 feet and 21 feet across. Available models include the Yurta 17, with 6-foot or 7-foot walls, and the Yurta 21, with 7-foot walls.
Yurta 17 · 6 ft or 7 ft wallsYurta 21 · 7 ft walls
Why stop at 21 feet? Focus, mainly. What we make, we try to make perfectly. Every piece of both models is designed and built for its exact job, so a new size would mean an enormous design effort.
Then there’s the making. Making the Yurta 21 the way we do at scale is a challenge we haven’t quite solved, so right now we make no more than eight to ten Yurta 21 models a year. And past 21 feet, we’d suggest another building may be a more practical consideration.
Handmade to Order in Ontario
Built by Hand, One Order at a Time
Each Yurta is made from scratch in our workshop near Oshawa. Our team cuts the raw fabric and sews it right here. The hardwood gets machined in the same shop. For precision metal parts, we rely on independent shops between Toronto and Ottawa, and most of them have worked with us for about 20 years. They help us hit the tight tolerances the design demands.
Working this way protects the quality of every material and finish. It also caps how many yurts we make. Only a limited number leave the shop each year, and we sell out most years. There are only so many hours in a day, and a sewing machine only runs so fast.
Why We Stay Local
Every part represents local employment. Every single part. We care about local jobs for their own sake, and keeping production close means parts travel short distances. And yes, we visit our suppliers in person. It’s a tight loop.
We love what we do, and the care we put into production will show in your Yurta.
What Guides Our Work
As a family business, we make decisions the way we’d want them made for our own family.
Conscientious Production
Ethical making that respects our clients, our community and the environment. Our entire enterprise is an effort in minimalism. We produce only a single bag of garbage a week. We build each yurt like it’s going to our own backyard. No shortcuts, no substitutions.
Local Focus
Local jobs and short supply chains. Our money goes to materials, not transportation.
Architectural Integrity
Architects lead our design, and every Yurta is thoughtfully designed, intelligent, minimal, and beautiful. All four.
Natural Living
No vinyl. 100% natural wool felt and hardwood. A Yurta is as natural as possible for a structure that will perform in our demanding climate.
Built to Last, and Yours to Own
Every Yurta comes with a 2-year warranty. Our commitment runs a lot longer than that.
If you bought your Yurta directly from us, you get replacement parts at cost for life. That covers every part except the cover, which wears with use. At cost means our cost. Say a tree comes down and breaks a roof rafter. You get a new one for exactly what it costs us to make. Same for the gas spring that opens the dome.
You know how it goes with most products. You buy a good $149 router, the base plate wears out, and the manufacturer wants $120 plus shipping for one replacement part. So the whole tool ends up in the garbage. Not here. We don’t profit when something goes wrong, because we treat our owners like family. And we build our parts to last.
You also get an owner’s manual and ongoing email and phone help. The Yurta 17 also comes with an installation video.
You can set up, look after and move your Yurta yourself. Two people put up a Yurta 17 in about 2 hours, and it packs down small enough to fit in a minivan. A Yurta 21 takes two people about 4 to 6 hours to put up or take down. That portability was the great idea behind the nomadic original. We kept it.
Yurta in the Press
Maclean’s and The Globe and Mail have both written about Yurta.
Pivot · 2021
Yurt alert
On YouTube, Exploring Alternatives made two films about Yurta, and together they’ve been watched more than 1.1 million times. Watch the first film or the second. There’s plenty more on our own channel, @TheModernYurta.
Yurta has also been featured in the National Post in a story about living full-time in a yurt. If a Yurta handles daily life, it’ll handle being your bunkie.
What Owners Say
“My absolute favourite space on earth.”
Lori McCarthy, Food Culture Place
“We put up another yurt from a local maker on our property. The Yurta is far superior in construction, aesthetics, ease of use, and materials. We are planning to build a house but the yurt has been so wonderful to be in that we haven’t felt any rush.”
Kate in Vermont
Common Questions About Yurta
Email info@yurta.ca, or call 1-877-807-5008 (toll-free) or 905-831-0418.
Who makes Yurta yurts?
Yurta is a family-owned Canadian yurt maker founded in 2004 by Marcin Padlewski and Anissa Szeto-Padlewski. President Patrick Ladisa leads the company today.
Where are Yurtas made?
In Yurta’s own workshop near Oshawa, Ontario. Independent shops in Ontario make the precision metal parts.
How long has Yurta been making yurts?
Since 2004. Yurta started at a rural studio in the Lanark Highlands, near Ottawa, and has sold more than 750 yurts since.
Can I visit the Yurta workshop?
Yes, by appointment. Call or email Yurta to book a visit.
Does Yurta ship outside Canada?
Yes. Yurta ships worldwide, mainly to customers in Ontario, the rest of Canada and the United States.
Visit Our Shop
A Yurta starts with an old nomadic idea. We make it by hand, here in Ontario, and build it to last a lifetime with care. After that, it’s yours to look after. We’d love to show you how it all comes together.
Email info@yurta.ca, or call us toll-free at 1-877-807-5008 or locally at 905-831-0418.