Carlos Castanheira is a member of the generation of Portuguese architects who consider themselves professional descendants of Alvaro Siza, with whom Castaneira worked for fourteen years.

Castanheira is known for his work with timber frames and architectural components, with a focus on the details of construction. After graduating from School of Fine Arts in Porto in 1981, Castaneira began to practice the profession while attending the Academie voor Bouwkunst in Amsterdam. He lived in the Netherlands until 1991, when he founded his own studio with Maria Clara Bastai. Over the years he has researched living functions and use of wood in combination with different materials as a reflection of interaction between the built and natural worlds.