Francisco Aires Mateus is one of the most prominent contemporary Portuguese architects. He graduated in architecture from the Faculty of Architecture at the Technical University of Lisbon (now part of the University of Lisbon) in 1987. Early in his career, he worked with the renowned architect Gonçalo Byrne, a collaboration that deeply influenced his architectural language and approach to space.

In 1988, Francisco began collaborating with his brother Manuel Aires Mateus, and together they established Aires Mateus Arquitectos in Lisbon. Over the decades, their practice has become internationally acclaimed for its minimalist yet profoundly expressive architecture. Their work is characterized by a mastery of form, light, and materiality — often using pure geometric volumes and carefully carved voids to create dramatic spatial experiences.