Francine Houben is the Creative Director and Founding Partner of Mecanoo architecten. Her work ranges from theatres, museums, and libraries to neighborhoods, housing, and parks. Currently, she is working on the renovation of the New York Public Library.
Francine Houben has held professorships in the Netherlands and abroad, currently holding a position as Visiting Professor at Yale School of Architecture. As curator of the First International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam in 2003, she brought the theme of the aesthetics of mobility to the forefront of international design consciousness. In 2010, Francine Houben was granted lifelong membership to the Akademie der Künste in Berlin. She holds Honorary Doctorates from Utrecht University and Université de Mons. Francine has gained international acclaim for her works. Queen Máxima of the Netherlands presented her the prestigious Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds for her entire oeuvre in 2015.