Francisco Aires Mateus graduated from the Faculty of Architecture of Technical University of Lisbon, or FA / UTL, in 1987. He taught in 2002 and 2005 at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. He has his own studio in Lisbon, Portugal and collaborates with his brother, Manuel. The studio has a portfolio that includes both residential and commercial projects. The designs focus on volumes and the visual play between various shapes as well as the void and empty spaces that surround them, but also on light and how it affects the completed structures or interiors. Among many awards and exhibitions, Francisco, with his brother, has also represented Portugal at the Venice Biennale in 2010, and taught all over the world.