Renowned Architect conducts workshop at AUST

The Department of Architecture at the College of Engineering, hosted recently international architect Francine Houben MSc, FRAIC, FAIA, HonFRIBA (1955), creative director/founding architect of Mecanoo Architects in Delft (The Netherlands) for a 4-days workshop. The theme of the workshop was “Designing a Landmark for Ajman,” in which participants were invited to design a conceptual project that can architecturally distinguish the city of Ajman.

 

The participants proposed different designs for a public library in the Emirate of Ajman, under the supervision of Francine Houben, to stand as an epitome of the emirate's architectural excellence. These projects will be presented to Ajman Municipality and Planning Department. 

 

The workshop witnessed the launch of the book "Design Concept in Architecture," authored by Dr. Jihad Awad, Head of the Department of Architecture at Ajman University. This book consists of four volumes, and includes architectural projects of more than 80 international architects. 

 

Dr. Awad expressed his gratitude to the University for supporting the department’s initiatives and praised the outstanding role played by the College of Engineering in bridging the gap between academia and the labor market. 

 Dr. Awad also pointed out that hosting architect Francine Houben who has completed a number of internationally known architectural works, such as the Library of Birmingham in the UK, largest library in Europe, will immensely benefit AUST students and other participants who are can avail from the expertise and knowledge of the international Dutch architect.

 

 

Francine Houben is one of Europe’s most active architects. She lectures all over the world and takes part as a jury member in many prestigious competitions. With her office Mecanoo Francine Houben is internationally active in Europe and Asia.  

Her curriculum includes Delft City Hall and Train Station (2015), TU Delft Library (1998), Montevideo residential tower in Rotterdam’s harbour (2006), Philips Business Innovation Centre FiftyTwoDegrees in Nijmegen (2007) and Bijlmerpark, Amsterdam (2011). The award winning La Llotja Theatre and Congress Centre in Lleida, Spain 

opened to the public in 2010. Wei-Wu-Ying Center for the Performing Arts in Taiwan and the Library of Birmingham integrated with the REP Theatre in the UK will both open in 2013. Whistling Rock golfclub in Chuncheon, South Korea will begin business fall 2011.

 

The work of Francine Houben is extremely wide-ranging: houses, schools and complete residential areas, theatres, libraries and skyscrapers, parks, squares and highways, cities, polders and ‘Randstad’, hotels, museums and even a chapel. Each project illustrates the three fundamental elements of her architectural vision: composition, contrast and complexity. 

The work of Francine Houben is based on both analyses and intuition. She enjoys interweaving social, technical, playful and humane aspects together to form a unique solution to each situation. Therefore she combines the disciplines of architecture, urban planning and landscape architecture in an unorthodox way and with sensitivity for light and beauty. Her use of material is expressive. Houben: “For me architecture is not a purely intellectual or conceptual game. In the end the result should touch all the senses.”

 

In 1999 Francine Houben introduces the concept of the aesthetics of mobility as a new instrument for country and town planning. In the same year she is instated as professor in Architecture, chair Aesthetics of Mobility at the University of Technology in Delft, The Netherlands. From her chair at the Delft University of Technology she became director of the First International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam 2003 in 2002, with ‘Mobility, a room with a view’ as a theme. With this biennale she has brought mobility as part of our daily life under the attention of a large international audience. In 2007 she was visiting professor at Harvard University. 

 

Francine Houben’s contribution to the profession of architecture is widely recognized. In 2007 she received an honorary fellowship of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and the American Insti¬tute of Architects. She was granted lifelong membership to the Akademie der Künste, Berlin in 2010.

Recently, she was named "Woman Architect of the year 2014" and  few days ago she was announced winner of the international competition for the design of Martin Luther King in Washington D.C.