It began through the elimination of all other possibilities. As a teenager, I dreamed of becoming a musician, but I eventually realized that I lacked either the talent or the training required to truly excel. Geometry, on the other hand, has always come naturally to me. Understanding the world through shapes, planes, and angles has always felt intuitive. Architecture therefore became a medium through which I felt naturally at ease interpreting the world around me and, ultimately, giving form to it.

There are no architects in my family, so my decision to pursue this path was, in many ways, a fortunate accident. Yet once I discovered architecture, I never wanted to be anything else.

Listening is one of the most important qualities an architect can possess. I enjoy silence because it sharpens my perception of the surrounding environment—its sounds, light, and scents. It is equally valuable when working with clients, as it allows me to truly understand not only what they say, but what they mean.

Every project begins with questions, and the more there are, the better. Architecture emerges gradually as those questions begin to find their answers.

The most exciting project is always the one currently underway. In the studio, we are working on several that feel particularly meaningful, including the transformation of an old bus warehouse into a new type of public space in the heart of Porto, as well as a masterplan in the Douro Valley designed to offer visitors a completely new way of experiencing the territory.

Since founding my practice in Porto in 2018, our only completed ground-up project to date is the winery at Quinta de Adorigo. I am especially proud of it, as it brought together the client’s vision, an exceptional site, and outstanding teams in enology, engineering, and construction.

My inspiration comes from the most unexpected places: it may be a work of art, a song, a poem, a book, or even a human or animal gesture. I get a lot of inspiration from my daughter and my two dogs. I think life can be so beautiful, most of the time in the simplest ways.

Gestures of kindness are always more inspiring than authority. In today’s global context, looking for these gestures is a daily exercise. When I need to get re-centered, I swim. The motion in water always helps me find the right energetic balance between mind and body.

Today’s society overvalues images, and everything is fleeting. There are many trends, and this leads to identity issues because something ‘great’ today is replaced by something ‘better’ tomorrow. I think some buildings lack the abstraction from these ephemeral trends. I believe some architecture lacks the necessary distance from these ephemeral cycles. It is important to build with a stronger sense of permanence and adaptation to nature.

I feel fortunate to have had the right mentors and collaborations at key moments in my career—people such as Patrick Berger, Charles Pictet, Fernando Romero, and Norman Foster—who challenged me while also giving me the space to learn through trial and error. Those mistakes were, and continue to be, essential to my growth, and I do not regret them. So, my advice is: experiment a lot, learn through mistakes. Success is an end; growth lies in the process.