Meet Katja Harjanne, General Manager at Moda Hove

Hi Katja! Can you tell us a bit about who you are and what you do?

I am the General Manager at Moda, Hove Central, the new rental neighbourhood on Sackville Road. It’s my responsibility to look after the brilliant team and the buildings to make sure that our residents have the most amazing time living with Moda and get to enjoy all the benefits that come with living at Hove Central.

Moda Hove is a a Build-to-Rent (BTR) development – can you explain what that means and why it’s important?

Moda, Hove Central was designed, and is operated specifically, for renters. All of the homes in the neighbourhood are operated by myself and the Moda team so we can deliver an outstanding living experience for our community. Your rent also includes loads of extras, like free wifi, access to our 24/7 gym, co-working and other amenities, exclusive discounts with local businesses and household brands, and loads more. Moda will also own the neighbourhood for the long term, which means we spend a lot of time getting to know the communities and businesses around the neighbourhood, and working with them to make sure we’re a good neighbour.

One of the biggest differences to renting with Moda instead of a private landlord is that you have access to the team 24/7, either in person or using the MyModa app. The app also allows us to connect our communities together with resident forums and events, and it even lets you pay your rent and access the building and your home fuss-free. The best difference in my opinion, though? We love pets and they’re allowed to live in our neighbourhood, cost-free. Because what is life without our furry friends!

We know that community is a big part of what you do – how do the different spaces at Moda Hove facilitate that?

Too often, people renting their homes feel lonely or like they’re not part of a community. Moda, Hove Central was designed and is operated specifically to make sure this doesn’t happen. The neighbourhood is full of communal spaces and amenities that our residents can use around the clock. These range from beautiful lounges and co-working spaces to our fully kitted out private dining room and kitchen or cinema room. Over the summer our BBQ roof terraces have been very popular, with views of the seafront one way and the South Downs the other. Whether it’s a quiet cup of tea with a friend to a Brighton Pride karaoke party (yes of course we had one), we’ve got the right spaces for our community to live their best lives. We also host a programme of events throughout the year for our residents to get involved with, giving them a chance to meet each other and find their community.

We love that Moda wants to be part of the wider Brighton and Hove community! How are you doing this?

We were actually working with the local community long before building works even started at Moda, Hove Central. In the early planning stages Moda set up a Community Liaison Group made up of local residents, businesses and counsellors, and this group has been meeting and feeding into the project since then.

Now we’re open, we’ve started to roll out a series of events inviting the Brighton and Hove Community into the Moda life, which is really exciting. Last month we co-hosted a stunning dinner party with a local content creator Poppy (you might know her as @Dustsheets_and_Decor), welcoming 12 guests from across the city to enjoy our Private Dining Room, an amazing menu cooked onsite by Cin Cin and gorgeous wine pairings from Chanctonbury Wines. We’ve got some VERY exciting events and partnerships coming up in the next few weeks as well, so keep an eye on @livethemodalife to see how you can get involved.

Moda, Hove Central has a big emphasis on public art. What does this mean?

Brighton and Hove is renowned globally for its thriving arts scene, so it was important to Moda to embrace this and build it into the heart of Moda, Hove Central. We’re running a first-of-its kind Public Art Strategy at the neighbourhood worth more than £250,000, working with local artists, our residents and the community to create special pieces in a range of mediums. Working with the brilliant Richard Wolfströme, we’ve already had two 52m murals hand painted along Sackville Road, with a third one in the works. We’re also working with three local artists/collectives to create a sculpture, a gateway to the neighbourhood and an art trail throughout it that anyone using the spaces can enjoy. 

The art strategy has also let us support art across the city. We sponsored Pierre Diamantopoulo’s beautiful Flight of the Langoustine sculpture on the seafront – his son Tom actually painted the first of the three Sackville Road murals! We also loved working with Brighton Festival in 2022 to deliver the amazing Riwaq performance space on Hove Lawns.

Having worked at the Hilton Brighton Metropole for over 20 years before joining Moda, you’ve likely seen it all. What was the most unusual thing you encountered during your time there?

I definitely encountered some wild and wonderful mishaps over my 20 years in hospitality! I wouldn’t say there are any unusual things I could mention though – it’s all just a part of us trying to live our lives in different ways! We are all individuals. The great thing about working with people is that every day is different – that goes for Build-to-Rent and for hospitality. I’ve learned so much moving into this sector but have had a great advantage given my hotel background.

And finally, because we love to find out a bit about the people behind the business - what’s a skill or talent you have that people are surprised to learn about you?

I’m a very multitasking mum! I do strength training workouts before sunrise four to five times a week. And if you really want to know something about me, I used to work with horses professionally in Europe. I still have a truck license to drive my four-legged friends around the continent for competitions.

With thanks to Katja Harjanne from Moda Hove. Find out more on their website here. 

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk