Dutch magazine Elegance spoke with Francine Houben about her life and work. The article touches on a broad range of topics, ranging from family to Mecanoo, and from Delft to New York. Francine is quoted in the article saying: “I want to inspire people. I know that I’m a role model, not just for girls and women, but also for the employees at Mecanoo. I’m aware of the responsibilities.”
Francine also talks about founding Mecanoo and the mentality of the practice: “I founded Mecanoo in 1984 along with four other architects. We wanted to work on what made us angry. Housing, public spaces, educational buildings; they did not look good at the time. So we set out to make it better and different. We had a lot of ambition and a lot of ideals. I never wanted to be the largest architectural firm in the Netherlands, but rather a practice with the mentality to make a difference do things better, and more beautiful. This has remained Mecanoo’s mentality for all these years. We are a strong agency. Like an old oak tree; we do not easily fall over.”
Photography: Stef Nagel
Read the full article in Dutch