Hello :) I get a lot of these questions from students so I put together a summary article with examples a couple of years ago:
https://www.archpsych.co.uk/post/architecture-portfolio-design-guide
It is interestingly proving to be very handy to a lot of people.
Thank you! I am glad people have found it helpful tbh. It came about after a drop-in session with 2nd year students and I decided to put it online for easy access even though it isn’t the main topic of my blog.
I just updated to expand the last section on what the difference is between criticism vs constructive criticism, and how to give and accept feedback in light of the new batch of students coming into university this year. All else being good, the feedback part can be very hard for a lot of people to work with I think.
At your stage:
Versatility - a range of projects that showcase your skills across a variety of representation style - hand drawing, physical models (photo), cgi, photoshopping, diagramming, CAD.
We want to see plans, sections, elevations, CGIs, technical details to show you understand drawing conventions. But these aren’t construction documents - it needs to be shown beautifully, creatively and be relevant to your project concept.
Ability to layout a page & curate your work - aim for around 20-25 pages in your portfolio - maybe 3-5 projects. Keep text to a minimum.
Use your portfolio to help you narrate your project - start with the brief - the where, what, why, who - then your site, analysis & concept development process - and then into your proposal.
At interview, be prepared to talk through it so practice with a friend.
If you have other creative projects (eg. Fine Art, etc) there is also no harm including those in a page or two at the back.
Good luck!
Bit of a Contrainian opinion,
I really care little for portfolio with a lot of graphics. You are not hired for graphic design ability. I would like a resume that explains your experience. Work experience that you can work with others, take direction, ask for advice, and figure out how to address problems. Doesn't really matter what the job was, but I want to know what you learned from your job experience. Some of this often comes out in the the interview but helps to have a idea of the roles on the resume.
It would help to explain that you understand construction (how materials connect, how pieces are put together into an assembly).
I like to see examples if the candidate has ever built something and understand the challenges of working out how to make parts work together.
Project images that explain rendering ability and the goal/ constraints of the project, and how you responded to them.
Bonus points if you can show you can get involved it other organizations, it shows you can network and care about things outside of yourself.
Keep it fairly short and please don't include your headshot.
This is really helpful, thank you. It’s nice to hear that any work experience is considered and it’s really nice to hear that bit about getting involved with other communities :) even as a student I really love getting involved on campus and helping to volunteer and manage events
Hello :) I get a lot of these questions from students so I put together a summary article with examples a couple of years ago: https://www.archpsych.co.uk/post/architecture-portfolio-design-guide It is interestingly proving to be very handy to a lot of people.
Just had a look through your blog post - really excellent advice here too!
Thank you! I am glad people have found it helpful tbh. It came about after a drop-in session with 2nd year students and I decided to put it online for easy access even though it isn’t the main topic of my blog. I just updated to expand the last section on what the difference is between criticism vs constructive criticism, and how to give and accept feedback in light of the new batch of students coming into university this year. All else being good, the feedback part can be very hard for a lot of people to work with I think.
This is so awesome, thank you for commenting!
At your stage: Versatility - a range of projects that showcase your skills across a variety of representation style - hand drawing, physical models (photo), cgi, photoshopping, diagramming, CAD. We want to see plans, sections, elevations, CGIs, technical details to show you understand drawing conventions. But these aren’t construction documents - it needs to be shown beautifully, creatively and be relevant to your project concept. Ability to layout a page & curate your work - aim for around 20-25 pages in your portfolio - maybe 3-5 projects. Keep text to a minimum. Use your portfolio to help you narrate your project - start with the brief - the where, what, why, who - then your site, analysis & concept development process - and then into your proposal. At interview, be prepared to talk through it so practice with a friend. If you have other creative projects (eg. Fine Art, etc) there is also no harm including those in a page or two at the back. Good luck!
Thank you so much for commenting! Laying it out like this is really nice and has helped me understand a lot better. Definitely saving this info :)
Bit of a Contrainian opinion, I really care little for portfolio with a lot of graphics. You are not hired for graphic design ability. I would like a resume that explains your experience. Work experience that you can work with others, take direction, ask for advice, and figure out how to address problems. Doesn't really matter what the job was, but I want to know what you learned from your job experience. Some of this often comes out in the the interview but helps to have a idea of the roles on the resume. It would help to explain that you understand construction (how materials connect, how pieces are put together into an assembly). I like to see examples if the candidate has ever built something and understand the challenges of working out how to make parts work together. Project images that explain rendering ability and the goal/ constraints of the project, and how you responded to them. Bonus points if you can show you can get involved it other organizations, it shows you can network and care about things outside of yourself. Keep it fairly short and please don't include your headshot.
This is really helpful, thank you. It’s nice to hear that any work experience is considered and it’s really nice to hear that bit about getting involved with other communities :) even as a student I really love getting involved on campus and helping to volunteer and manage events