Born in Porto, Portugal, in 1952. Graduated in Architecture from the School of Fine Arts of Porto, in 1980. Collaborated with the architect Siza Vieira, between 1974 and 1979. Assistant Professor of the Architecture Course at FAUP (Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto), from 1981 to 1991. Visiting Professor in Paris-Belleville, Harvard, Dublin, Zurich and Lausanne.

His work is vast and includes both private homes and public buildings. Villas in Foz do Douro in Porto, Miramar, Caminha, Serra da Arrábida, Ponte de Lima or in the Algarve are among the many projects planned.

Among the larger buildings, the following stand out among the many works: the Braga Municipal Stadium, the Casa das Histórias by the artist Paula Rego in Cascais, the Casa das Artes, the Convento das Bernardas, the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London, and the Kortrijk Crematorium in Belgium.

He has a long list of international awards and recognitions, namely the Pessoa Prize (1998), two Secil Prizes (1992 and 2004), the Heinrich-Tess-Now Gold Medal, the FAD Prize for Architecture and Opinion for the Braga Municipal Stadium, the FAD Urbanism Prize for the Porto Metro and the IAKS Gold Medal (Germany). Awarded with PRITZKER 2011. He was also recognized with the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2018.