Jose Maria Lobo de Carvalho studied Architecture in Milan and graduated in Lisbon (University Lusíada, 1994). He is a Master of Arts in Conservation Studies (University of York, 1996) and has a PhD in Architecture (Instituto Superior Técnico, 2009) with a thesis on the economics of conservation and heritage policies. He is currently an invited Professor at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture (IST-UL) in Lisbon and the Catholic University (Viseu). Previously he worked at the World Heritage Landscape of Sintra (PSML, 2007-2013) as conservation architect responsible for the Royal Palace of Pena and author of the post-fire reconstruction of the Chalet of the Countess of Edla. Between 1998 and 2002 he worked at the Architectural Heritage Inventory (DGEMN), as coordinator of the Buildings at Risk project and member of the Historic Centres Survey team. During this period he worked on the condition survey of numerous historic buildings and urban centres in Portugal, Madeira, Cape Verde and Brazil. In 2012, he received the Literary Guild of Lisbon Award for the conservation project of the Chalet of the Countess of Edla. In 2013, the reconstruction of the Chalet of the Countess of Edla was granted the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage/EUROPA NOSTRA. In 2015, he founded the historic buildings consultancy firm Conservation Practice.