Breaking the mould

Architecture, even more so than professions like law or medicine, remains a bastion largely dominated by men. Names like Frank Gehry, Rem Koohaas, Tadao Ando, Steven Holl, and Jose Rafael come to mind. One exception is Prof. Francine Houben, founder, director, and architect at the Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo architecten. Under her watch Mecanoo has forged a reputation for designing unique eyecatching buildings that are also highly functional.