Modern Office of Design + Architecture

What Modern Office of Design + Architecture does

Modern Office of Design + Architecture (MODA) is a Calgary-based architectural practice founded in 2013 by Ben Klumper and Dustin Couzens. The firm provides full-service architectural design across residential (single-family and multi-family), commercial, mixed-use, cultural, and civic project types, serving clients ranging from individual homeowners and developers to municipalities, corporations, and non-profit cooperatives. Its portfolio includes award-winning projects such as the GROW multi-family development (2024 Governor General Medal), VILLAGE (2017 P/A Award winner), ATTABOTICS HQ (2019 World Architecture Festival Category Winner), and civic projects including the Calgary Japanese Community Association facility, with recent international expansion into South Korea via the Korea National Archive Museum and Gyeongju Integrated Library competition entries.

MODA operates as a professional services firm generating revenue through project-based architectural fees, with pricing negotiated per project based on scope, complexity, and client requirements. The firm has developed proprietary design methodologies including circular/disassembly architecture with material passports (FARM project), modular SIP panel systems for cohousing (COHOUSE), and parametric rope installations for interior spaces (Attabotics). The 48-person firm combines practice with academic appointments at the University of Calgary's SAPL and an active research program on robotic fabrication at architectural scale (PAST/FORWARD, funded by the 2023 Prix de Rome prize). Customer segments span property developers, government and institutional clients, corporate and technology companies, and housing cooperatives, with no single dominant client visible in the portfolio.

Name

Modern Office of Design + Architecture

Legal name

Modern Office of Design + Architecture

Website

https://moda.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Modern Office of Design + Architecture (MODA) is a Calgary-based architectural practice founded in 2013 with 48 employees, providing full-service architectural design across residential, commercial, cultural, and civic project types for developers, municipalities, corporations, and non-profits across Canada and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: MODA generates revenue through architectural design fees for residential, commercial, multi-family, cultural, and institutional projects. Projects range from private residences to large-scale commercial facilities and municipal/institutional buildings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MODA is an architectural design firm that provides integrated services from concept through construction across residential, commercial, mixed-use, cultural, and civic projects. The firm operates with approximately 48 staff in Calgary, serving clients in Western Canada and South Korea. Its practice is led by co-founders Ben Klumper and Dustin Couzens.

Product overview

MODA is a Calgary-based architecture practice offering full-service architectural design across residential (single-family, multi-family), commercial, mixed-use, cultural/civic, and competition project types. The firm's portfolio is organized around completed and ongoing built projects rather than a unified software product. Key projects include: GROW (2024 Governor General Medal-winning multi-family), VILLAGE (2017 P/A Award-winning 78-unit condo), ATTABOTICS HQ (2019 WAF Category Winner manufacturing HQ), SWITCH|BLOC (2024 Mayor's Urban Design Award multi-family), FARM (circular-design commercial), COHOUSE (innovative cohousing), various award-winning residences (Lakeview, Bel-Aire, Canmore, West Coast), civic works (Calgary Japanese Community Association, Radio Park Amenity Hub), and international competition entries in South Korea (Korea National Archive Museum, Gyeongju Integrated Library). The firm also conducts ongoing research through its Prix de Rome-funded PAST/FORWARD program on robotic fabrication at architectural scale.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Full-service architectural design from concept through construction for residential, commercial, mixed-use, cultural, and civic projects, delivered to developers, institutions, and private clients in Western Canada and South Korea.
• Residential Architecture Design of single-family and multi-family residential buildings for private homeowners and developers, including modular and prefabricated construction approaches.
• Commercial and Mixed-Use Architecture Design of commercial, retail, office, and mixed-use buildings for real estate developers and corporate clients.
• Cultural and Civic Architecture Design of cultural institutions and civic buildings for public-sector and institutional clients, including projects that have received the Governor General Medal.
• Modular and Prefabricated Building Design Design services focused on modular SIP (Structural Insulated Panel) construction and prefabricated building systems, applied to residential and other building types.

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Henry Tsang ArchitectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Calgary Japanese Community Association project. Henry Tsang Architect worked alongside MODA as project collaborator on the 1,200 sm mixed-use facility incorporating Japanese cultural spaces, affordable housing, and daycare.
• CREATE Construction ManagementminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProject collaborator providing construction management services on Calgary Japanese Community Association project. Partnership enabled delivery of the complex cultural facility combining traditional Japanese design principles with contemporary construction methods.
• Snow Angel ProgramsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit charity partnership for S[Hovel] Winnipeg Warming Hut project. Following the warming hut installation, 214 aluminum shovels are donated to Snow Angel Programs - non-profits that assist seniors and infirm with snow removal, creating circular lifecycle for the installation.
• YYCGrowersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal non-profit partnership for QBERT project. YYCGrowers assists in developing and maintaining an urban farming initiative using the building's terraced roofscape. A portion of produce is donated to local charities while remainder supports a farm-to-table food hub within the building.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Michael Green Architecture: Vancouver-based architecture firm known for innovation in mass timber and sustainable construction. Comparable to MODA in their focus on construction innovation and design excellence, with similar boutique scale and award recognition.
• KPMB Architects: Toronto-based Canadian architecture firm with similar design excellence focus and award-winning portfolio. Comparable in scale and in their emphasis on civic, cultural, and institutional projects, making them a direct peer in the Canadian design-focused architecture market.
• DIALOG: Calgary-based architecture, engineering, and design firm with whom MODA directly competes in the Calgary market. Both firms target institutional, cultural, and mixed-use projects in Western Canada, though DIALOG operates at significantly larger scale.
• Omar Gandhi Architect: Halifax-based emerging architecture practice with strong award recognition and contemporary design focus. Similar boutique scale and emerging practice profile, with shared emphasis on design innovation and typology exploration.
• Williamson Williamson: Toronto-based boutique architecture practice with strong design focus and residential/multi-family expertise. Similar scale and design-led approach to MODA, with comparable typology exploration in multi-family housing and adaptive reuse projects.
• Batimat: Montreal-based residential architecture firm focused on multi-family and housing innovation. Comparable to MODA in their design-led approach to housing typologies and strong project portfolio in the residential sector.

Broad incumbents

• Lemay: Major Canadian architecture firm with broad portfolio across commercial, cultural, and institutional projects. A broader incumbent that competes for institutional and large-scale mixed-use projects in the Canadian market.
• Diamond Schmitt Architects: Major Canadian architecture firm headquartered in Toronto with extensive experience in cultural, institutional, and civic projects including libraries and museums. A broader incumbent that competes for institutional commissions similar to MODA's South Korea projects.
• Studio Gang: Design-driven architecture firm with similar emphasis on innovation, sustainability, and material experimentation. Operates at significantly larger scale but shares MODA's commitment to design excellence and exploration of sustainable construction methods.
• Snøhetta: International architecture and design firm with strong reputation for cultural and public projects including libraries and museums. Comparable in their design-driven approach to cultural projects, similar to MODA's South Korea library and museum commissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/moda

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Modern Office of Design + Architecture