Mandala Homes
Harmoniously Integrating People and Earth
by Rachel Ross

Mandala Homes is a fascinating British Columbia-based company that pre-crafts round structures and ships them in kits all over the world where they are assembled on-site. This group of dedicated personnel and skilled and conscious craftsmen strive to increase awareness, understanding, and compassion for the natural world by building homes that are beautiful, healthy, and sustainable. Mandala Homes is committed to a co-creative process that resonates in a fundamental way with their customer’s needs and values. The company was conceived ten years ago in the mind and heart of the owner, Lars Chose.

Lars’ philosophy begins with the principle that we all live in an interconnected world. This interconnection, or, as he believes—“the web of life”—moves through and around all life forms. He says, “As humans, we have evolved to have empathy and compassion, and with this comes responsibility to care for the planet and all beings that inhabit her.” Because of this, he maintains that we have to consider our choices when using the resources available to us. A Mandala is the perfect home for people who feel this connection and who want to live and thrive in what he calls “an earth-friendly environment.”

People often ask Lars how “Mandala” relates to his vision. Mandala is a Sanskrit word that means “circle” or “the interconnection of all things.” It is most known as a spiritual symbol used as a contemplative or meditation tool. When Lars started his company, he had been a practicing Buddhist for nearly 20 years and was looking for a name that reflected the connection between his spirituality and his work. Historically, mandala images from Buddhist studies were used as focusing tools which were constructed as architectural items such as doors and windows. According to Lars, the Mandala building reflects this in its engineering, designed with all the parts interconnected; from the metal skylight ring at the top, through the trusses to the wall, to the floor and floor joists, and back to the centre of the floor ring—like the unbroken mandala that connects everything—this is a manifestation of Lars’ consciousness, his deepest spiritual values and his work. 

The design of a Mandala Home also reflects a high value for the planet because they use very little energy to heat and cool. A round structure is over 20 per cent more energy efficient simply because of the thermal dynamics of the shape. The building itself takes up to 18 per cent less floor, wall, and roof to create the same square footage as a square building. In this way, there is less building envelope to lose heat for the same square footage found in a rectangular building.

Because Mandala homes are beautiful in their roundness and use environmentally-friendly materials, they attract like-minded people to them. Lars says, “The soul of the home is very important and people realize that we understand this and support them at all levels to create a home for the soul to rest, play, dream, and create. The people who buy our homes come from all walks of life. The love of the round is universal and many people have dreamed of living in a round home from an early age. The people who buy our homes value the natural world and want to live in home that reflect the connection they deeply feel. We view our clients as partners with us in the co-creation of their dream home.”

Lars’s vision also is to build homes that have the lowest carbon footprint possible. To start with, the company offers their homes built with R-30 insulation in the walls and R-66 in the roof. The windows are energy efficient Low E Argon windows with options for triple pane filled with Krypton gas with an R value of 11. The doors are made of insulated material with a patented energy-efficient door jam. All Mandala homes are EnerGuide rated so that the client can determine the energy efficiency of their home and the areas they can improve on in order to bring their home closer to being carbon neutral. By choosing the latest heating and cooling technologies and air ventilation systems, as well as the most advanced energy-efficient appliances, Mandala owners can receive an EnerGuide Rated Certification on the energy efficiency that clarifies their contribution to lessening stress on the environment and increasing the market value of their home.

Lars says, “Mandala Homes is now entering a time when all buildings will have to be designed and built according to ‘performance architecture’ principles—increased energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, stewardship of resources as well as sensitivity to their impacts. The house should also be sited in the environment in a way that blends and connects with natural resources and the natural setting.”

Astonishingly, Mandala builds and ships more than round homes. The innovative company also provides Mandala Greenhouses—rich and verdant green growing space; Mandala Microhomes—small footprint traditional-shaped dwellings; and Mandala Studios—sacred space for yoga, meditation, and bodywork. When it comes to making dreams come true, Mandala Homes is a magical treasure chest of choices.

Rachel Ross lives in beautiful Nelson, British Columbia, with her partner Lars, Inca, a spotted dog, and Poppy, the youngest of her three daughters. Rachel feels that she has the best job in the world—helping people to realize their dreams for meaningful and ecological homes. She writes, connects, and executes creative projects at Mandala Homes, www.mandalahomes.com. You can also find her drinking tea and posting quotes, inspiration, and information about Home at www.facebook.com/mandalahomes. Come by for a visit or call (250) 352-5582 or toll free 1-866-352-5503.