Know anyone who has built a yurt (hexagonal) home, or dome to live in?

We knew a couple who built a beautiful hexagonal home at a relatively high altitude just outside of Turrialba. It did however contain a lot of windows. Views to die for...but unfortunately in the humid, rainy season the water literally dripped from their ceiling. For my 10 colones, a building like this, is more suitable to drier conditions, not where the clouds are not low and plentiful.
Personally I would advise you to stick with the conventional building  materials, cement, cement block, steel and glass that are more resilient to the many insects that seek to destroy wood. Would you be required to import them or are they now available in CR?

Here is a link discussing SIP panels
Plus, chances are that you will have a harder job to sell it, at a later date.

I was planning on building a modified yurt from earthbags. If you're considering building a yurt type structure you probably already know about the benefits of building round so I won't go into that. There was a place called "Yurts de Costa Rica" but it looks like their website is no longer up. I know there was a gorgeous round brick house (probably somewhere up here in Puriscal) but I can't seem to find it online right now. Anyway, you might want to try the following links to places that have yurts or work with alternative building styles:

Mastatal - ranchomastatal.com
PachaMama - pacha-malpais.com
Jungle Yurt - costarica-beachrentals.com

These places ought to be able to tell you how well their structures are standing up and, probably, provide some instruction or guidance.

kohlerias wrote:

We knew a couple who built a beautiful hexagonal home at a relatively high altitude just outside of Turrialba. It did however contain a lot of windows. Views to die for...but unfortunately in the humid, rainy season the water literally dripped from their ceiling. For my 10 colones, a building like this, is more suitable to drier conditions, not where the clouds are not low and plentiful.
Personally I would advise you to stick with the conventional building  materials, cement, cement block, steel and glass that are more resilient to the many insects that seek to destroy wood. Would you be required to import them or are they now available in CR?

Here is a link discussing SIP panels
Plus, chances are that you will have a harder job to sell it, at a later date.

Thanks much for the info and opinion!

This is exactly why I want to find out if anyone has built one and had success or failure with it!
While this definitely adds to the "data" I would point out that it doesn't mean hexagonal building in  Costa Rica won't work. It could just mean that the particular materials and design they used was not a good one. That said, I definitely will try to find them and talk to them once I'm in Costa Rica!

I am currently in communication with a guy who knows someone who has a company importing SIP panels and building with them. However they are just starting out so I am trying to get info about people who have already done it.

Thanks for the link discussing SIP Panels. I haven't looked at it yet but that may be thread my friend is participating in. Again, thanks for the info. If you happen to see that hexagonal building near Turrialba again please make note of the location and PM me here! I bet though if I go there and ask around someone will be able to lead me to it.

ladyluz wrote:

I was planning on building a modified yurt from earthbags. If you're considering building a yurt type structure you probably already know about the benefits of building round so I won't go into that. There was a place called "Yurts de Costa Rica" but it looks like their website is no longer up. I know there was a gorgeous round brick house (probably somewhere up here in Puriscal) but I can't seem to find it online right now. Anyway, you might want to try the following links to places that have yurts or work with alternative building styles:

Mastatal - ranchomastatal.com
PachaMama - pacha-malpais.com
Jungle Yurt - costarica-beachrentals.com

These places ought to be able to tell you how well their structures are standing up and, probably, provide some instruction or guidance.

Ladyluz, thanks much for the links! This is great info and I will pass it along to my friend in  Costa Rica who is currently researching yurts and building with SIPS.

Are you still interested in building a yurt with earth bags? Let's keep in touch on this issue. I can put you in touch with my friend in the Central Valley who is researching alternative building there and is interested in SIPS if you pm me.

By the way, sorry for the slow response to this thread. I am subscribed to it but for some reason did NOT receive any emails re the replies so I didn't know I had any replies until I just happen to look today.

[Admin? Why would that be that I didn't get a notice by email even though I'm subscribed? I get emails re other threads I'm subscribed to!]

I think whatever you build make sure that is has at least a 6ft overhang, all around  to protect your windows from the heavy or should it be, torrential downpours.
8ft. would be better as there will not be quite enough room to set up table and chairs on a smaller patio underneath with room to walk round. Since most of the living takes place outside, this is important.

kohlerias wrote:

I think whatever you build make sure that is has at least a 6ft overhang, all around  to protect your windows from the heavy or should it be, torrential downpours.
8ft. would be better as there will not be quite enough room to set up table and chairs on a smaller patio underneath with room to walk round. Since most of the living takes place outside, this is important.

Sounds like good advice. Thanks.