A Hexayurt H2 is a hexayurt-style structure with space for a single person or cozy couple and a few personal effects, nothing more. It is roughly the size of a single person hiking tent or a capsule hotel. The footprint is 4' x 8' with a height of 41 inches (a 6' person can sit straight inside).

Materials

• 2 structural panels (polyiso, plywood or cardboard as appropriate for a hexayurt)
• plastic or canvas tarp larger than 8' x 4'
• 1 roll bi-directional filament tape
• 1 roll duct tape
• Optional: 1 roll silver tape

The tarp is for the floor. In a hot environment (ie: Burning Man), the floor should be non-insulating so the ground acts as a temperature regulator. In colder environments, an insulated floor is preferred, but polyiso panels may not be able to hold bodyweight without crushing.

Crude video

Construction

1. On each panel, cut a line from one corner to a point 2' in on the long side. You will be left with two walls that are isosceles trapezoids with an 8' base and a 4' top, and four right-angle triangles with a base of 2' and a height of 4'.
2. Bevel the 8' side of each wall panel at a 26.5° angle, so the walls will lie flat on the ground when they form the edges of a triangle.
3. On each wall panel, make a flange out of duct tape beside the angled edge. This will hold the door in place.
4. Tape each pair of triangles along the 4' edge, edges together.
5. Tape the two 4' tops of the walls lying parallel like a book binding (Camp Danger Hexayurt Hinge Technique). Each wall should have one flange facing the flange on the other.
6. Seal all exposed edges with tape.
7. Tape the tarp to the bottoms of the walls, 4 feet apart.

At this point the H2 is ready for transport. The walls fold together with the tarp tucked inside or poking out. The two triangular end pieces can lay parallel to the walls so the whole thing can be sandwiched inside plywood panels for protection.

Note that the flange is necessary because the panels are three-dimensional. The ends cannot be caps, but fit *into* the ends.

Enhancements

• Cut a hole in one end panel for attaching a swamp cooler duct
• Build a furnace filter into the other end panel to increase airflow

Erection

1. For maximum cooling, erect the H2 so that an end piece faces the sun at its zenith.
2. Open the walls with the tarp taut on the ground. The tarp prevents downward force (including gravity) from collapsing the structure outward.
3. Tape one of the triangular end pieces to the diagonal wall ends and tarp. The end piece prevents inward force from collapsing the structure upward.
4. Tape the other triangular end piece only to the tarp. This is the door.
5. Run lines (rope or nylon webbing) over the top of the structure and stake them down. Although the structure is aerodynamic, wind could gust under the wall and fill the tarp. These ropes also help prevent inward force from collapsing the structure upward.

Use

The prototype built by Russ Warren and Jared Warren was used at Burning Man 2012. It used 2" polyiso panels painted white.

I discovered that one person's body heat was sufficient to heat a closed H2 to uncomfortable levels. The swamp cooler I had was insufficient for cooling the H2 in the middle of the afternoon. My typical use was to prop the door vertical while sleeping at night to provide airflow and open the door all the way once the sun rose in the morning. I was able to sleep comfortably until approximately 10:30AM. I wasn't inside the H2 during any dust storms, but wind never blew the door in and very little dust ended up inside.