Souto de Moura is the son of medical doctor José Alberto Souto de Moura and wife Maria Teresa Ramos Machado.
Souto de Moura was born in Porto, and studied sculpture[REF] before switching to architecture at the School of Fine Arts of the University of Porto, the current FAUP - Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade do Porto, and receiving his degree in 1980.