We have some exciting news: we’re proud to announce that our co-founders Matt Gibberd and Albert Hill have been selected to join the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) as Honorary Fellows. The fellowships are awarded every year to individuals who have “made a significant contribution to architecture but are not architects”. This includes people who have shaped the design world and the built environment for the better, with sustainability and the future of younger generations at the forefront of their minds. Here Matt and Albert reflect on how they got here – and how The Modern House will continue to positively pave the way for years to come.

This year, Matt and Albert are among 12 new Honorary Fellows to become part of the RIBA, including Akil and Seth Scafe-Smith, founders of design collective Resolve (who we profiled in Issue No.5 of The Modern House Magazine) and Jonathan Stock, publisher of titles including Architects’ Journal, the RIBA Journal and Architecture Today. As RIBA President Simon Allford explains, the 2023 lineup of Honorary Fellows represent many professions, ranging from engineering to public relations: “They are distinguished and connected by the fact that they have all demonstrated an exceptional dedication to bringing about positive change in architecture and the wider collective industry. I would like to extend my congratulations and I am delighted to welcome them to the RIBA.”

The Modern House has come a long way since Matt and Albert founded the company in 2005. “Back then, modernism in the UK was really a fringe interest,” explains Albert. “It was around that time that Greenside, a 1930s masterpiece by Connell, Ward and Lucas was bulldozed by a developer – despite it being Grade II-listed. The developer just couldn’t believe that a house that looked as it did could have any value.” We were founded on quite the contrary belief. Through The Modern House, Matt and Albert have proved that there is value in great design and a market for modernist houses. “In the early 2000s, estate agents would almost be embarrassed to be selling them – they’d use words like ‘quirky’ and list them with very low prices,” Albert continues. “Using our editorial knowledge,” – Matt was previously working at The World of Interiors and Albert at the Guardian and Wallpaper – “we decided to celebrate them with great photography and stories.”

Matt and Albert have since spent the past 17 years leading a business that strives to connect thoughtfully designed homes with equally thoughtfully minded buyers. Albert reflects on a particularly memorable encounter of finding a custodian for a 1950s house in suburban Leicester in 2011. “We were invited to visit by the owner, a very elderly gentleman, Mr Goddard. It still is one of the very best houses that I’ve seen and was in absolutely immaculate original condition.” Mr Goddard had commissioned Brenda Walker and Fello Atkinson of James Cubitt & Partners to design the now-Grade II-listed house after a business trip to Wisconsin, which ignited his interest in modern architecture. “While there, he had meetings at Frank Lloyd Wright’s incredible Johnson Wax Headquarters,” Albert explains.

Sadly, a couple of years after the visit, Matt and Albert received a call from one of his children saying that Mr Goddard had passed away. “In his will, it was stated that we were the only agency that was to be allowed to represent the sale of the house, which had meant so much to him,” Albert continues. “Thankfully we found the perfect buyer, a professor and design historian, who continues the legacy of this amazing piece of architecture.”

Looking forward, how do Matt and Albert hope The Modern House will continue to impact the world of architecture in a positive way? “The exciting thing about the built environment is that it’s always in flux, which means that our business is constantly evolving too,” says Matt. “Inspirational living spaces are being created every day and The Modern House will continue to bring the best examples to public attention and provide a marketplace for them. We will always be design fanatics at heart – and we find it very gratifying to be able to support up-and-coming architecture practices, by featuring their projects and exposing them to potential clients.”

As Matt explains, storytelling will also be at the heart of everything we do and the size of our global audience today, which includes nearly 700k followers on Instagram and more than 150k followers on YouTube, means we have can continue to shape the future of good design. “It’s a great privilege,” says Matt. “We are passionate about the preservation of our modern built heritage – and there is always work to do in this area.” As he highlights, having achieved our B Corp status in 2022, we want to lead the way in terms of environmental responsibility too, “by inspiring people to live more thoughtfully and sustainably at home.”