El premio a la ArquitectA del año fué para Francine Houben, fundadora del estudio holandés Mecanoo
El jurado decidió otorgar a Francine entre las otras candidatas al premio: Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara de Grafton Architects, Maria Langarita de Langarita-Navarro Arquitectos, Roisin Heneghan de Heneghan Peng, Kirsten Lees de Grimshaw, Sadie Morgan, dRMM and Adriana Natcheva de Groves Natcheva Architects.
El premio a la Arquitecta emergente fué para la britanica-venezolana Julia King.
Las otras arquitectas nominadas eran: Aranta Ozeata Cortazar de TallerDE2 architects, Angela Dapper de Denton Corker Marshall, Daisy Froud de AOC, Hana Loftus de HAT Projects, Yeoryia Manolopoulou de 2013 Stephen Lawrence Prize-winning AY Architects, y Nicola Rutt de Hawkins\Brown
The Dutch architect picked up the prestigious award at a ceremony held at London’s Langham Hotel today (7 February).
Houben, who founded Mecanoo in 1984, was described by the judges as ‘confident but humble’.
In the past year Houben completed one of the practice’s highest-profile UK projects, the £193 million Library of Birmingham, which was voted building of the year in an online poll of AJ readers.
Collecting the award, Houben said: ‘I feel privileged to be a woman, a mother, and an architect.
‘It was a great privilege to design the Library of Birmingham. Architecture is about teamwork, about being supportive and visionary at the same time. Women are especially good at that.’
Awards judge and executive director of the Pritzker Prize, Martha Thorne said: ‘Francine Houben is a woman who leads a very large office – 120 people. She is someone who is able to combine that leadership role with the highest quality of architecture and is therefore a wonderful example.’
Maggie’s director and awards judge, Laura Lee, added: ‘I hope that everyone will agree with the judges’ decision – it wasn’t an easy one.’
Houben was chosen ahead of Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara of Grafton Architects, Maria Langarita of Langarita-Navarro Arquitectos, Roisin Heneghan of Heneghan Peng, Kirsten Lees of Grimshaw, Sadie Morgan, dRMM and Adriana Natcheva of Groves Natcheva Architects.
Previous recipients of the accolade have been Alison Brooks in 2013 and joint winners Michál Cohen and Cindy Walters in 2012.
The awards ceremony to celebrate the ROCA-sponsored AJ Women in Architecture campaign, which is now in its third year, also included a keynote speech from Hopkins Architects’ co-founder Patty Hopkins.
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Sole practitioner and PhD candidate Julia King has won the prestigious AJ Emerging Woman Architect of the Year Award
The researcher and designer, who is currently setting up practices in both New Delhi and London, saw off fierce competition to scoop the award for architects and architectural designers who have been in their current role for less than five years.
King, whose work focuses on the future of urban development, was described by the judges as ‘truly inspiring’.
The British/Venezuelan has already designed and built a sewer for 322 low-income houses in New Delhi and is regenerating the Taj East drain which runs through slum areas near the Taj Mahal.
Judge and V&A director Moira Gemmill said: ‘Her work has great resonance internationally. She came across as someone who is very driven, very smart and very capable of getting things done often in very difficult circumstances.’
Peabody director Claire Bennie praised the ‘practical concern’ of King’s work, while Landmark Trust director and women in architecture judge, Anna Keay described her projects as ‘life-changing’. She said: ‘[Julia King] is a woman who is getting things done’.
Architect Hannah Corlett, director of up-and–coming London-based Assemblage, received the commendation. The other shortlisted architects were Aranta Ozeata Cortazar of Spanish practice TallerDE2 architects, Angela Dapper of Denton Corker Marshall, Daisy Froud of AOC, Hana Loftus of HAT Projects, Yeoryia Manolopoulou of 2013 Stephen Lawrence Prize-winning AY Architects, and Nicola Rutt of Hawkins\Brown
Corlett co-founded Assemblage back in 2003, and in the past year the practice has won a string of high-profile competitions including the international contest for the new $1 billion Iraqi parliament building.
Last year’s winner of the Jane Drew Prize Eva Jiricna praised all the shortlisted emerging women. She added: ‘It is really encouraging that there are so many bright young women architects and that they have got their chance, and that they have taken their chances and got on with it.
‘I’m sure the future of architecture is bright if these women are going to hold the flag in the next generation and the next ten years to come.’
Celebrating the ROCA-sponsored AJ Women in Architecture campaign, which is now in its third year, the awards ceremony held at London’s Langham hotel today (07.02.14) also included a keynote speech from Hopkins Architects co-founder Patty Hopkins.