Marie-José Van Hee (b. 1950) graduated as an architect from Hoger Architectuur Instituut Sint-Lucas, Ghent (1968-1974). She starts working with Ghent architect FrancisSerck, freelance for landscape architect Paul Deroose in Jabbeke and Groep Planning in Brussels and Bruges while taking on her commissions. 1986 she co-founded VDVH Associés in Brussels before finally setting up a Ghent office in 1990– now Marie José Van Hee Architecten.
Van Hee was a Professor of Architectural Design at Sint-Lucas School of Architecture (1991–2015) and a Visiting Professor at ETH Zurich (2016–2017). Until 2022, she was a guest critic and lecturer at universities in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland. Van Hee’s best-known works include the Fashion Museum “Modenatie” (1999–2003) in Antwerp her own home, House Van Hee (1994–1998), House V-D (2007–2020), both in Ghent, and House HdF (2007–2011) in Zuidzande, the Netherlands. Teacher of numerous fellow architects for about half a century, creating timeless architecture by renewing traditional and vernacular building practices. With everything she drew, there was a particular focus on the proportion of space, the quality of light and the resolved detail, implementing classical elements such as the window, door, fireplace, staircase and gallery to anchor built environments at every scale.
Marie-José Van Hee has received several Belgian and international awards, including the Alvar Aalto Medal 2024, the Flanders Architecture Prize 2023 and 1997, RIBA International Fellowship 2017, and was selected for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – the Mies Van der Rohe Awards in 2013 and 1999.
