Francine Houben – Bartlett International Lecture Series

People, Place, Purpose, Poetry

Synopsis

People, place, purpose, poetry: through these four words Francine Houben illustrates her practice’s unique, humanistic approach to architecture.

At Mecanoo Architecten, every design is considered in terms of its cultural setting, place and time. As such, the practice treat each project as a unique design statement embedded within its context and orchestrated specifically for the people who use it.

Biography

Francine is the founder and creative director of Mecanoo Architecten, an architectural practice based in the Netherlands. Her work ranges from theatres, universities, office buildings and libraries to neighbourhoods, housing, masterplans and parks. Her designs are inspired by her observation of people, location, culture and climate.

Francine has held professorships in the Netherlands and abroad, including visiting professor at Yale University in 2017. She is a lifelong member to the Akademie der Künste in Berlin and was named Woman Architect of the Year 2014 by the Architects’ Journal.

In 2015, Francine received the prestigious Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Prize for her entire oeuvre and the BNA Kubus Award in 2018.

Image: Francine Houben, supplied by Mecanoo