Open House
Magnolia 2300
We are pleased to announce that we are hosting an Open House at our Magnolia 2300 Show Home in Nelson!
Saturday, Oct 24th, 10-4pm 3234 Heddle Road, (northshore) Nelson, B.C.
This event is a good fit for you if you are interested in:
Round Dwellings
Super Energy Efficient Home Design
Passive Solar
Climate Change Ready Home Design
Off-Site Construction
Healthy Beautiful Home
The experience of a Mandala Home
Touring an ENERGY STAR qualified home
The Magnolia Design (2300 sq. ft. in total. 1500 upper story)
The Aspen 300
A Mandala garage
and more.....
We look forward to seeing you at the Open House!
Climate Change Ready By Design: Build Resilient, Energy-Efficient Round Houses
Climate Change Ready homes: designed to withstand extreme weather, from wildfires to snowstorms.
At Mandala Custom Homes, we understand the facts about climate change. It influences the way we build. Our round prefab homes are engineered for resilience, beauty, and comfort, even in the face of rising temperatures, stronger storms, and unpredictable weather events.
With over two decades of experience building high-performance homes across North America—and expanding into Europe—we shape our designs through a deep understanding of how to build structures that endure and thrive. We create climate change-ready homes that offer superior protection, energy efficiency, and peace of mind in every environment.
Key Takeaways:
- Mandala Homes are round, energy-efficient, and structurally strong—ideal for extreme weather and seismic activity.
- Our design process accounts for temperature extremes, high winds, rain, snow loads, wildfires, and earthquakes.
- Each home is built with durable materials and innovative engineering to ensure long-term comfort and sustainability.
What Makes a Home Climate Change Ready?
A climate change ready home must be more than energy-efficient—it must be structurally sound, moisture-protected, wind-resistant, and safe from fire and seismic activity. At Mandala Custom Homes, we take a proactive, performance-based approach to every element of home design.
Built for Extreme Temperatures
We built our first Energy Star home in Minnesota in 2003, and have since advanced to our Eco Premium building system. This airtight envelope wraps the home in a thermal barrier of insulation, minimizing energy loss and maintaining stable indoor temperatures year-round.
Our homes often achieve as low as 0.52 air exchanges per hour and feature passive solar design principles:
- South-facing windows allow winter sun to warm the interior.
- Extended eaves shade windows during summer months to reduce cooling demand.
Protected Against Heavy Rain
Water damage is a growing concern in the face of extreme weather. That’s why we include three levels of rain protection in every home:
- 30-inch roof overhangs limit direct water contact with the siding, windows, and foundation.
- A built-in rain screen allows exterior insulation to breathe and stay dry, eliminating trapped moisture.
- A continuous moisture plane adds an extra level of defence, ensuring rain stays outside where it belongs.
Wind-Resistant Design: The Power of Round Homes
Unlike traditional rectangular homes that catch wind like a sail, round homes are aerodynamic. Wind flows around them instead of crashing into flat surfaces.
Our conical roof systems eliminate the uplift issues that gabled roofs face during strong wind events. This:
- Reduces the risk of roof failure.
- Eliminates drafts and heat loss.
- Creates a quieter, more serene indoor space even in high winds.
Built to Withstand the Elements
Snow Loads and Roof Design
In regions with heavy snowfall, structural integrity is crucial. All Mandala homes come with a lifetime engineer’s warranty specific to your regional snow loads. Our low-pitched, engineered roofs:
- Support snow accumulation as part of the home’s thermal barrier.
- Work with wide overhangs to keep snow away from the foundation, reducing the risk of wall and base damage.
Seismic Resilience
From California to Alaska, our homes are built in some of the most seismically active areas in North America. Round homes are naturally more earthquake-resistant due to their interconnected structure and load-sharing design.
To enhance this strength:
- We use engineered steel connectors at every major joint.
- The design flexibility of prefab construction allows for precise engineering that meets or exceeds seismic codes.
Wildfire Resistance: Beyond Code Compliance
There’s no such thing as a wildfire-proof home—but Mandala Homes are as close as it gets.
In high-risk areas like California, we comply with strict Wildfire Code standards:
- All homes are constructed with a Class A Fire-Rated shell.
- Soffit venting is integrated into the roof to reduce ember intrusion.
And now, based on research from Harvard University, we are also incorporating:
- Roof-mounted sprinkler systems that create a moisture bubble to slow or prevent fire spread.
Common Questions About Climate Change Ready Homes
What does “climate change ready” mean in home design?
A climate change-ready home is built to withstand extreme weather conditions, such as heatwaves, wildfires, flooding, snowstorms, and earthquakes, while remaining energy-efficient, durable, and safe.
Why are round homes better for extreme weather?
Round homes deflect wind rather than resist it, reducing structural strain. Their shape is also more stable under seismic activity, allowing for efficient heat circulation inside.
Can I build a Mandala Home in a high-risk wildfire area?
Yes. We use materials and construction techniques that meet or exceed the strictest Wild Fire Code requirements. We also offer upgrades like rooftop sprinklers for added protection.
Do your homes meet passive house standards?
While not all Mandala Homes are certified passive houses, our Eco Premium design shares many of the same principles, including airtight envelopes, high insulation values, and passive solar strategies.
Building a Sustainable, Climate-Resilient Future
At Mandala Custom Homes, we believe that sustainability, safety, and style can go hand in hand. Every round home we create is a reflection of decades of experience, environmental responsibility, and architectural innovation.
Whether you’re building in the mountains of British Columbia, the snowfields of Minnesota, the earthquake zones of California, or the windy coasts of Scandinavia—your home should be climate change ready.
Let us help you create a home that not only stands the test of time but also protects what matters most.
Ready to build your Climate Change Ready home?
Contact Mandala Custom Homes to get started.
Mandala Homes in Fortune Magazine
The Nature of Business
We believe that we can learn much from Nature- the expert at surviving and thriving- by simulating or directly utilizing the patterns and features observed in natural ecosystems.
It turns out that business thought leader, Vernes Harnish, author of Scaling Up (among other great books), agrees with us.
Vernes recently wrote an article for his regular column in Fortune Magazine sharing nuggets of examples from 5 businesses - including Mandala Homes!
The 5 examples he shares are
- Lower your health costs
- Clear air, clear mind
- Adapt to survive
- Try new organizational structures
- Use biomimicry in office design
Read the full article here
Influential Woman in Business
Rachel Ross, of Mandala Homes is proud to have been named an Influential Woman in Business in the West Kootenay by Kootenay Business magazine.
Building the dream
Rachel Ross, vice-president with Mandala Homes in Nelson, B.C., is a caring as well as influential woman in business
Mandala Homes in Nelson is a company that aspires to integrate sacred spaces into everyday living in an environmentally responsible fashion. To that end, this eco-conscious business focuses on pre-building engineered homes that are both beautiful and energy efficient.
It's not hard to guess from the company's name that it specializes in round homes (a mandala is defined as a symbolic circular figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist traditions; the mandala can also represent a dreamer's search for completeness and self-unity).
It's also not surprising that Mandala Homes uses B.C. wood in all its products, given its location within a forest of cedar, spruce, pine and fir. The business has an upmarket global reach, shipping to clients anywhere in the world; the Energy Star-qualifed prefab homes are assembled and finished on-site.
Mandala Homes was created in 2000 by Lars Chose. Now, in 2015, Chose's wife and part owner, Rachel Ross, has been named an Influential Woman in Business in the West Kootenay by Kootenay Business magazine. Ross is skilled at marketing, especially on social media, and at keeping employees happy (think paid meditation breaks and snow days!). We caught up with Rachel Ross to find out a bit more about this influential businesswoman and the business she takes pride in.
Can you tell us a bit about your business training or background?
Before joining the Mandala Homes team in 2009, I was the owner of a successful curriculum business, The Art of Learning: Creative Educational Resources, since 2001.
What's special about your business?
Our business is special for a number of reasons.
- Learning. We love to learn and we seek constant improvement through being open to learning moments, taking interesting courses, encouraging round-table discussions and hiring consultants, like building scientists, to work with us.
- Culture. We strive to create an incredible company culture. An example of this is: We turn off the power tools, shut off the computers and unplug the phones for a paid mediation as a group at 11:45 most weekday mornings. Another example: We have a “20-centimetre rule”—If it snows 20 centimetres or more, everybody who wants to heads to the ski hill (which happens to be 12 minutes away from our parking lot.) We believe that daily work can be enjoyable and satisfying when people are working in their area of genius, so as much as possible we assign people to do tasks in areas where they have passion and talent.
- Social Media. We have a community of over 74,000 fans on our Facebook business page. This is a vibrant place of inspiration, information and interaction for people from all over the world. It’s a great way to stay connected with people in real time. Plus, we’ve landed a number of interesting projects in such far-flung places as Hawaii and Norway through our Facebook page.
- Triple Bottom Line. We have a “triple bottom line” in our business, which means that we equally value the needs of the environment, the needs of people and the needs of the financial health of the company. We hold all of these values in equal importance.
- Product. And, of course, there’s our unique product! Round homes (and commercial buildings), made of the best B.C. wood. Homes that are warm in winter, cool in summer and embrace you with a sense of quality and well-being. We prefab and ship our homes from Nelson to all over the world. For example, we’ve shipped homes to Alaska, Massachusetts, California, Washington, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Hawaii and—in 2016—we’ll be shipping the first of many homes to Norway
Was there someone specific who shaped you as a businesswoman?
My life partner, Lars, the founder of Mandala Homes. He is an experienced businessman with heart who reminds me to enjoy the journey of this adventure called “running a business” in a relaxed and easy manner and in a positive and healthy way. He teaches me and others by example, every day.
What advice would you give to someone embarking on a business?
Choose a service or product that you feel passionate about. Gather a team of smart people around you. Treat them very well. Always go the extra mile with your product or service. Find unusual and interesting ways to market your product. Running a business is a lifestyle—make sure that it’s a lifestyle that you enjoy.
As an Influential Woman in Business award winner, what would you like your lasting impact to be?
Collaboration and camaraderie with other established business owners and mentorship for those newcomers starting out in business.
How does knowing that you're seen as influential influence you?
I love this question and hope that I addressed it somewhat in my impromptu acceptance speech at the (Influential Women in Business Awards) banquet. I think that if, in our lives, we should find ourselves in a position of influence—as employers, as a company with a global reach or perhaps as a strong voice in social media—that this influence gives us a responsibility to make choices that are closely connected to our values. I have strong values for family, for good communication, for creativity and for actions of peace and respect. Being in a position of influence, I can use my influence in staffing decisions, in meetings, in business decisions and in business relationships to embody and give voice to these values.
Do you have a favourite inspirational quote or motto (words to live by)?
Our company purpose! “Make Life More Wonderful”—we find hundreds of opportunities per day to make life more wonderful for the planet, for future generations and for our staff, friends, clients and vendors.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Lars and I are working on co-authoring a business book that outlines the principles that we use at Mandala Homes—stay tuned for a release in 2016!
Kootenay Business Magazine article
ENERGY STAR 6 in Alaska
The Michael and Maddie O’Laire family of EcoSmart Homes Alaska recently finished the latest Mandala Home project in Alaska. Their Mandala Home received a whopping 97.5 points on the BEES rating system, which qualifies it as a 6-Star Home. At just .04 air exchanges per hour, Bill Steyer of The Energy Saver, LLC, said the house was the tightest home he had ever rated. The home also qualified for a $10,000 rebate through Alaska Housing Finance Corporation’s Home Energy Rebate program
Out Of The Box Winner.
Lars Chose and Rachel Ross, owners of Mandala Homes, are happy to choose the name of a winner out of the draw box from the Nelson Green Home and Energy Show- the winner receives two (2) hours of design, drafting or consultation with the Mandala Homes Team, on the project of their choice!
Featured Home Ambassador at Nelson Green Home and Energy Show
Come down and shake hands with us at this exciting event! We are the only ENERGY STAR Qualified Builders at the show- we'd love to help you understand the benefits of building with energy efficiency as a priority (hint: It has something to do with comfort and cost savings!)
We look forward to seeing you at the show!
PODCAST interview. An Utterly Unique Company
Curious about Mandala Homes? What's the company culture like?
Listen to this interview with founder, Lars Chose, recorded in the Mandala Home he shares with his wife, Rachel Ross.
The conversation covers topics such as; sustainability, values based business, the pursuit of passion, geometry and building, how Tai Chi + outdoor adventure + family values can be the building blocks to a successful business, the importance of community and more!
Mandala Homes In The News
"A local couple received some unexpected press for their home-building design company from Huffington Post Canada.
Lars Chose and Rachel Ross own and operate Mandala Homes, a company that uses sustainable B.C. wood to build energy efficient houses.
“We’re thrilled to be featured in such a high profile publication, because — though we are a relatively small company based in Nelson and we support the local economy by hiring local workers and purchasing from local businesses — we provide sophisticated pre-fab energy efficient homes for the global market and the Huff Post article makes it easier for the world to find us,” Rachel Ross told The Nelson Daily.
“Our virtual “phone has been ringing off the hook” since the article came out and our Mandala Homes facebook page has grown from 38 to 39 thousand in the last few days.”
The Huffington Post is an American online news aggregator and blog founded by Arianna Huffington in 2005.
The Huff Post, which has a Canadian version that featured the Mandala Homes article, covers a wide range of topics that includes politics, business, entertainment, environment, technology, popular media, lifestyle, culture, comedy, healthy living, women's interests, and local news.
The article was posted April 11 and featured a photo feature of Mandela Homes products.
Mandela Homes, founded in 2000, is a company that designs and crafts homes that are good for the planet and cost effective for the clients — using BC wood to construct passive solar homes that are energy efficient.
The company also built BC’s inaugural Energy Star qualified home in 2010.
“Lars and I are blessed with an incredible team of creative, high energy, positive minded people and we are full-on busy these days,” explains Ross, who is the marketing director for Mandela Homes while Chose is responsible for the heavy lifting and designing.
“And, we can always adjust our production schedule for more projects if there is interest.”
Ross said the company is engaged in some exciting projects on the horizon — Net Zero Energy homes in Alberta this summer (Net Zero Energy are homes that don’t require external energy sources and may even feed back into the grid), a gorgeous home for a poet and his wife and baby in Massachusetts, the first Energy Star 6 (the highest rating in AK) round home in Alaska and the first of a series of TECH 10 homes in Norway.
There are also some interesting projects in Hawaii as well as some local projects.
“We are so happy that we can enjoy the quality of life that we have here in Nelson and feel that we are contributing to our passion for a sustainable world for our children's children,” Ross said."
see full article here