Marie-José Van Hee. Photo: Jef Jacobs

The fifteenth Alvar Aalto Medal has been awarded to Belgian architect Marie-José Van Hee. Her output covers a wide range of projects, from private houses to public spaces and cultural buildings. Van Hee’s works beautifully emphasise respect for architecture, nature and handicraft, as well as an understanding of traditional and folk building methods.

“Marie-José Van Hee’s work shows a consistently sensitive, contextual, and finely crafted approach. Her architecture is rooted in its context and the surrounding landscape – not only reflecting but contributing to a Flemish local vernacular over the course of her career. Her work is characterised by a beautifully understated command of natural materials, light and proportions, producing quiet, intimate spaces, designed around daily life,” the Medal jury said in its statement...

Alvar Aalto Medal 2024 goes to Belgian architect Marie-José Van Hee