Jubilant! 2023 was a free mini festival taking place in Stowmarket, Suffolk celebrating the creativity of local school children and young people. Modece joined as part of a wider group of artists/professionals who worked with students from 10 local schools to help children build their own creative projects. They included performances, exhibitions, audio experiences and short films and later presented at a cultural venue in Stowmarket town centre throughout Festival week. Check out the video below featuring the exciting final projects!
We’re live on instagram!
Modece’s portfolio of projects on Instagram
We are excited to announce that we’ve launched a new Instagram profile focused especially on our portfolio of projects where we will be showcasing some of our most exciting and innovative designs! You can find our new profile on Instagram at “modecearchitects”.
As always, we strive to deliver highly sustainable and contemporary architectural designs and our focus is on providing healthy and naturally breathable buildings for our clients. In our search and development for a healthier practice and construction, we love sharing our projects and we hope this allows our readers to feel inspired and proactive.
Make sure to follow us on our new profile to keep updated with our newest projects! We will continue to upload our news and projects onto our website for those readers who don’t have Instagram and you’re always welcome to drop us a message from our Contacts page!
SJCC 2023 Professional Apprenticeship Award Winner - Andy Elliot
We are excited to share that Andy Elliot, one of our Part 1 Architectural Assistants, has won the prestigious Suffolk Joint Construction Committee Construction Professional Apprentice of the Year Award 2023.
During his three years with us, Andy consistently produced work of outstanding quality, demonstrating unwavering determination and a commitment to learning. He has developed a comprehensive understanding of the diverse skills required to succeed as an architect. Andy's growth is evident in his confident presentations to clients and specialists, showcasing his improved design ability, attention to detail, and self-assuredness.
In addition to his core responsibilities, Andy has shown exceptional independence, taking on early-stage and detailed design tasks. His reliable management of consultants, clients, and contractors has been impressive.
Dr Timothy Brittain-Catlin, Andy's course leader at the University of Cambridge, commends his performance. Andy's meticulous planning, determination, and stamina have resulted in high marks within his cohort. Dr Brittain-Catlin fully supported Andy's nomination for the award, recognising his dedication and contributions to the field.
Andy Elliot's journey from a dedicated apprentice to a finalist for the Suffolk Joint Construction Committee Construction Professional Apprentice of the Year Award 2023 is a testament to his talent and commitment. We congratulate Andy on this well-deserved recognition and look forward to witnessing his continued success in his career. His growth, independence, and dedication to teamwork make him an asset to our practice.
The Food Museum in Stowmarket awarded £1,409,600 MEND funding
During autumn of 2022, Modece was awarded the bid to help the Food Museum in Stowmarket (formerly known as the Museum of East Anglian Life) apply for over £1,000,000 from the MEND programme, to develop, extend and refurbish some of the iconic buildings around the museum’s site.
The grant is awarded ‘by the Department for Culture, Media and Support and Arts Council England. The MEND fund helps museums to undertake vital infrastructure and urgent maintenance backlogs which are beyond the scope of day-to-day maintenance budgets.’ The Food Museum is one of over 70 recipients of the funding.
Modece produced Stages 0-3 for refurbishments to the Collection’s Store, Home Close area, the Bone Building, Grade II* Abbot’s Hall and Grade II Victorian Abbot’s Hall Stables and will now develop the rest of the stages to take to planning and through construction.
The Grant will allow to reroof, reclad and extend the museum’s Collections Store, which is the main space for the storage, conservation and maintenance of the museum’s vast collection. It will also allow to repair the woodwork and roofing on listed buildings including the stunning Grade II* Abbot’s Hall and Grade II Victorian Stables and improve toilet facilities across the site. The beautiful original timber frame structure of the 14th Century Edgar’s Farmhouse will also be taken down and relocated to a more appropriate location. Director of the Food Museum, Jenny Cousins said: ‘We’re overjoyed to have this opportunity to solve some of our long-term issues and substantially improve collections care and the visitor experience. The reality for a lot of museums that care for historic buildings is that we have inherited a large backlog of work and our resources for day-to-day maintenance are very small. The MEND fund is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix some long-standing problems and give a huge boost to the visitor experience.’
Alongside the works under MEND, the Museum will be building a new bridge to the Grade II Fishing Lodge with funding from the DCMS/Wolfson Museums & Galleries Improvement Fund and installing an accessible Changing Places toilet which will be open to the wider community during the day, with support from Mid Suffolk District Council. The project is also supported by Suffolk Public Sector Leaders and New Anglia LEP’s Suffolk Inclusive Growth Investment Fund.’
Rising Star Awards 2022 winner - Helen Su
Helen Su, who joined the practice in October 2021, is the winner of the Innovation Awards 2022 in the ‘Rising Star’ category. The award goes out to young people between 16-25 years old who have demonstrated outstanding innovation within the work environment.
Helen was nominated for the award following her rise within Modece Architects from being in the Kickstart scheme to becoming selected for Cambridge University to complete her architectural studies.
During COVID, Modece Architects noticed the influx of young people contacting them for work. The government launched the Kickstart Scheme to help find such young people placements in firms. Modece joined with a local consortium of museums and arts based businesses to create a consortium to deliver a local kickstart program.
Modece committed to giving placements such as architectural assistants and graphics design to 14 under 24year olds over an 18 month period. During this time Helen applied for a placement as she was unable to find work after finishing her undergraduate. Helen was shy and reserved in her interview, however Modece saw that she had potential from her portfolio and was given a placement for a 6-month period under the Kickstart Scheme. During that time, she outshone the rest of the kickstart team on the scheme and produced valuable work for some of Modece’s projects. Towards the end of her placement, Helen began to consider going back to university to study her masters. Modece, keen to support Helen while also retain her in the practice, offered to employ her as an apprentice within the new Cambridge University architecture apprenticeship programme. Helen was successful at her interview and started her apprenticeship in Cambridge in September 2022 for a 4 year course during which she’ll complete her masters and a diploma to become a fully qualified architect.
Website launch for our Research and Development section
As a highly sustainable lead business, we not only build sustainably but also research and develop new methods for greener architecture. This includes the use of Hemp based and breathable construction, including structure, walls, plasters and paint and also using natural insulation from recycled materials such as wool and other fabrics.
We recently launched a new section of our website dedicated to the research and development of new, sustainable and natural construction for our viewers and clients to understand and stay informed of what goes on in the background of our projects.
The refurbishment of our office in Stowmarket of a Grade II listed building has also given us the opportunity to test and develop new methods and show how a building can be brought back to life through contemporary and healthy architecture. Click through to read more about this project.
Modece’s office - Hemp wall and wood fibre insulation revealing original structure of Grade II listed building of the Old Fox Yard
During October 2022, the team also led a study trip to South America, specifically Argentina, to study the development of Argentine vernacular architecture in its varied and vast climates, including the arid and cold southern Patagonia and the tropical and humid area of Misiones, just south of Brazil. Keep an eye out for a post on our three-week study trip, which is coming soon!
Pallet Bar - Modece's Arts Bar in the heart of Stowmarket
Photography: Mikaela Rackham
Photography: Mikaela Rackham
In December 2021, Modece opened PALLET BAR, an art-inspired bar serving locally produced drinks within Unit 7 of the Old Fox Yard, which we refurbished a few months earlier into our office and Pallet Bar.
Now attracting a large volume of customers who enjoy a space filled with art, live music, food stalls, and the craft of local producers, the vision for Pallet Bar was to create a bespoke bar in the historical yard, and doing it with natural and sustainable materials.
Local artists, such as Catalina Carvajal, Lois Cordelia, Hannah Tooke and other artists, have joined with their artwork to participate in Pallet’s rotating exhibition, which has already featured five different artists so far in 2022. The bar also features a large mural painted in-house by artist Catalina Carvajal.
Leading the team at Pallet Bar is Ella. She has put her skill, passion and hard work into creating a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere, with an extensive menu including a selection of cocktails, local ales, spirits and afternoon brews such as coffee and tea. Ella also regularly organises community events - such as small music festivals, social events and food stall nights - in the Old Fox Yard, where small and local businesses can bring their craft. Ella works in collaboration with Sam at Fox Yard Studio, who organises art nights for local artists to exhibit and interact with customers. You can always expect to be greeted at Pallet with a warm welcome and a good drink from Ella.
Follow Pallet on Instagram and Facebook or view updates on their events on their website.
Carvajal’s feature mural on our ground floor. Photography: Mikaela Rackham
2022 Stowmarket Town Awards
Modece’s Director Matt and Poppy Bingham, winner of Young Person of the Year Award
Modece had the pleasure of sponsoring this year’s Young Person of the Year Award, granted to Poppy Bingham for her commitment to helping the community.
We congratulate Poppy on her great achievement and are proud to have participated in and contributed to this year’s Stowmarket Town Awards.
Innovation Awards 2022 Shortlist
Modece Property Ltd has been shorlisted for BMSDC Innovation Award 2022 in the category of Construction Innovation for the refurbishment of the Old Fox Yard!
The awards commemorate businesses across Babergh and Mid Suffolk for their innovation by integrating new technology or thinking out of the box. They celebrate sustainability, healthcare construction and businesses on the High Street.
When Modece Property decided to regenerate the Old Fox Yard in Stowmarket, it was clear that respecting and highlighting its history whilst keeping it as a busy quarter would pose a challenge. Hence, Modece thought that the best way to celebrate the life of the old Fox Yard and frame its history of being a thriving hub in the centre of the town was to bring a new life to it, one that would merge its rich heritage with the contemporary life and the future vision for Stowmarket as a place where the community, as well as external visitors, would have a place to come together. Modece Property, in collaboration with Modece Architects, Fox Yard Studio and Pallet bar, refurbished the building into the Architect’s office; Fox Yard Studio’s art gallery and workshop; and Pallet’s bar; all together forming a new Design Quarter in a Grade II listed building in the heart of Stowmarket.
Interior of Modece Architect’s new office within the Old Fox Yard.
The refurbished Old Fox Yard, with Fox Yard Studio to the left and Modece’s office to the right.
Read more about the Old Fox Yard’s refurbishment here.
Also shortlisted for the Rising Star Award in this year’s BMSDC Innovation Awards is Helen Su, a Part I Architectural Assistant who joined the team in October 2021. The award seeks to celebrate people between 16-25 years old for their innovation within the workplace. In her year at Modece, Helen has secured a spot to continue her studies at Cambridge University, as part of the university’s Apprenticeship Programme. Sponsored by Modece, this will allow her to continue studying while working and learning in a professional environment.
Helen working at Modece
Read the full nomination shortlist here.
