President and founder of the Triennale, José Mateus set to create a worldwide architecture event, after visiting the Sao Paulo Architecture Biennial. Given the critical mass that existed in Portugal, he sought partners that enabled the 1st edition of Lisbon's Architecture Triennale, in 2007. The success of the following editions confirms his bet. In parallel to his activity as an architect, he was the president of the Southern Regional Assembly of the Portuguese Association of Architects, between 2008 and 2010, and vice-president of the same institution's Southern Regional Executive Council, between 2005 and 2007. Together with Nuno Mateus, he founded and runs, since 1991, the prestigious architecture office ARX, gathering an enviable catalogue of built architecture, part of which are the Ílhavo Maritime Museum and the Costa Nova Social and Cultural Centre.