Born and raised in Porto, João Valente knows the city as an architect, musician, artist, and surfer. He received his Master’s from the Porto School of Architecture, and his portfolio is scattered around the city. João’s current project is a new development that will stand underneath the Porto Cathedral and bump shoulders with structures that have been there since the 12th century.

João has been leading architectural guided tours for fifteen years. As an artist, he conveys Portugal’s history through comic books and wood art that takes the forms of intricately built prows, woodcut panels, and more. He is also a violinist that plays traditional music at festivals scattered across Europe.

João has lived in France and Spain and had some exceptional experiences in that time, like developing a report on the world’s range of approaches to teaching architecture. He’s back in Porto for a simple reason: the things he loves converge here. Family and friends, personal and professional passions, the ocean, and Porto’s near-unregulated mixture of old and new.