This quote is by Henry Yorke Mann.
Psychologist Carl Jung saw the mandala as “a representation of the unconscious self.” He believed mandalas enabled him to work toward psychological and spiritual wholeness. Architect Henry Yorke Mann’s philosophy similarly reflects designs which bring us toward wholeness.
From his ‘Mandala’ home/studio and ranch in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, Mann has created the Dunira Lodge floating office complex, The Killarney Community Center, The Engineers Club, The Eagle Tower at the Brackendale Art Gallery, The Temple of Life, The Laura Lynn Riding and Country Club, Mountain Village, Arbutus Point Resort, and numerous artful residences for more than 40 years.
Dunira Lodge
The Eagle Tower
Long before “sustainable/green design” was part of our vocabulary, Henry Yorke Mann combined his reverence for the practical and spiritual needs of his clients with his reverence for the site and nature. Through the use of natural materials, which are inherently non-toxic and timeless, Mann enhances his client’s spiritual connection with nature. By “listening between the lines,” to both his clients and the site, Mann assimilates topography and climate with hopes and dreams.
Mann describes architecture as a ‘The God-Dance’ which connects the sacredness of site with the sacredness of people. This connection creates buildings with natural power and energy.
Construction
Mann’s symbolic use of the mandala in his designs evokes our connection with non-material reality. The mandala represents the celestial circles of the earth, the sun and the moon, as well as the conceptual the circles of friends, family and community. The ‘circle with a center’ is a pattern found in biology, geology, chemistry, physics and astronomy, making even the unseen elements of life.
The circular mandala represents the wholeness of the infinite world in many traditions. The Zohar describes the circle as, “The center which receives the light, illuminates the body, and all is enlightened.”In the 12th century Christian nun Hildegard von Bingen created mandalas to express her visions. Native American Indians have created medicine wheels by laying stones in a circular pattern reaching up to 75 feet in circumference. The circular Mayan and Aztec calendar replicate the mandala shape. The Taoist ‘Yin-Yang’ symbol simultaneously represents opposition and interdependence. Indigenous Australians create Boa Rings from hardened earth. The Jewish Star of David is found in many mandalas. Navajo Indians and Tibetan monks create sand mandalas to demonstrate the impermanence of life. From Buddhist Stupas and Muslim mosques to Native tepees and Christian cathedrals, domed ceilings become mandalas representing the arch of the heavens.
The Totems
Labyrinths are a type of mandala designed to create a sacred space that takes us out of ourselves to “that which is within” and back to the world again. Labyrinths draw on intuition, creativity, and imagery to find the symbolic ‘center’ where you will gain a deeper understanding of your inner self, and gaining strength for the larger world.Mandalas and Labyrinths provide a poetic architectural metaphor for home as sanctuary.
The Ramus Residence on Gambier Island off British Columbia was designed to be a year-round, spiritual refuge where the family could connect to the healing power of nature. The home was inspired by the client’s visits to temples in Kyoto, Japan.
The Hamm/MacNeil home was constructed of straw bales and native willows, practicing what Mann calls ‘common sense green building,’ sourcing local labor and materials to minimize the use of fossil fuels for transportation.
The Ramus Residence
Mann’s personal residence was built in a high mountain area which is hot in the summer and cold in the winter. He used natural ventilation, a double roof, deep overhangs, low E windows, and a central wood stove with partial height walls and ceiling fans for efficient heating and cooling.
The Scott Studio is a weekend artist's retreat under construction. It will have a retractable glass, providing an intimate connection to the landscape as a source of artistic inspiration. The floating copper roof is designed to reflect the surrounding tree forms.
Mann’s Durina Lodge brings a new dimension to ‘connecting with nature’ for sport fishermen and whale watchers. The-two story floating lodge will be moored 50 miles from Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Consistent with Mann’s Mandala designs, the Lodge features a central spiral stair and third floor observation lookout with beacon.
Henry Yorke Mann’s designs provide a beacon for sustainable, spiritual design. His reverence for the connection between person and place provides sanctuary for the spirit, and homes for reflection, private solace and peace.
