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74 Exceptional Architecture Portfolios

• Written by Dima Stouhi
• Published on December 03, 2019

Technical skills: check. Visually coherent content: check. Distinctive personal input on both the projects and portfolio design: double check.

Although résumés and portfolios can be somewhat flat when it comes to informative content, it is their ability to present an applicant's unique sense of style that makes or breaks an application. Whether it’s a deliberate image selection, or a clear, consistent layout, some people manage to fulfill all the criteria needed in a successful portfolio . Issuu , the world’s largest online digital publishing platform that allows anyone—from architects to global brands to fresh graduates—to publish their creative content online, has hand-picked their top 74 exceptional architecture portfolios . The selected architects have managed to showcase their impressive projects and technical skills in portfolios that reflect their creative mindset.

We’re not saying you should judge a book by its cover, but some "covers" can’t help but stand out from the rest, for all the right reasons. Take a look at Issuu ’s list of top architecture portfolios here , and see a few of our personal favorites below.

Just as Issuu says: If you’re looking for the next big thing, "see who has a pencil, piece of paper, and plenty of imagination.”

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2020 Student Thesis Showcase - Part I

Have you ever wondered what students design in architecture school? A few years ago, we started an Instagram account called IMADETHAT_ to curate student work from across North America. Now, we have nearly 3,000 projects featured for you to view. In this series, we are featuring thesis projects of recent graduates to give you a glimpse into what architecture students create while in school. Each week, for the rest of the summer, we will be curating five projects that highlight unique aspects of design. In this week’s group, the research ranges from urban scale designs focused on climate change to a proposal for a new type of collective housing and so much in between. Check back each week for new projects. 

In the meantime, Archinect has also created a series featuring the work of 2020 graduates in architecture and design programs. Check out the full list, here .

Redefining the Gradient by Kate Katz and Ryan Shaaban, Tulane University, M.Arch ‘20

Thesis Advisors: Cordula Roser Gray and Ammar Eloueini / Course: 01-SP20-Thesis Studio

Sea level rise has become a major concern for coastal cities due to the economic and cultural importance tied to their proximity to water. These cities have sustained their livelihood in low-lying elevations through the process of filling, bridging, and raising land over coastal ecosystems, replacing their ecological value with infrastructures focused on defining the edge between city and nature. Hard infrastructures have been employed to maintain urban landscapes but have minimal capacity for both human and non-human engagement due to their monofunctional applications focused on separating conditions rather than integrating them. They produce short-term gains with long-term consequences, replacing and restricting ecosystems and acting as physical barriers in a context defined by seasonal transition. 

To address the issues of hard infrastructure and sea level rise, this thesis proposes an alternative design strategy that incorporates the dynamic water system into the urban grid network. San Francisco was chosen as the location of study as it is a peninsula where a majority of the predicted inundation occurs on the eastern bayside. In this estuary, there were over 500 acres of ecologically rich tidal marshlands that were filled in during the late 1800s. To protect these new lands, the Embarcadero Sea Wall was built in 1916 and is now in a state of neglect. The city has set aside $5 billion for repairs but, instead of pouring more money into a broken system, we propose an investment in new multi-functional ecologically-responsive strategies. 

As sea levels rise, the city will be inundated with water, creating the opportunity to develop a new circulation system that maintains accessibility throughout areas located in the flood zone. In this proposal, we’ve designed a connective network where instance moments become moments of pause and relief to enjoy the new cityscape in a dynamic maritime district. 

On the lower level, paths widen to become plazas while on the upper level, they become breakout destinations which can connect to certain occupiable rooftops that are given to the public realm. The bases of carved canals become seeding grounds for plants and aquatic life as the water level rises over time. Buildings can protect high-risk floors through floodproofing and structural encasement combined with adaptive floorplates to maintain the use of lower levels. The floating walkway is composed of modular units that are buoyant, allowing the pedestrian paths to conform and fluctuate with diurnal tidal changes. The composition of the units creates street furniture and apertures to engage with the ecologies below while enabling a once restricted landscape of wetlands to take place within the city. 

The new vision of the public realm in this waterfront district hopes to shine an optimistic light on how we can live with nature once again as we deal with the consequences of climate change.

Unearthing the Black Aesthetic by Demar Matthews, Woodbury University, M.Arch ‘20

Advisor: Ryan Tyler Martinez Featured on Archinect

“Unearthing The Black Aesthetic” highlights South Central Los Angeles’s (or Black Los Angeles’s) unique positioning as a dynamic hub of Black culture and creativity. South Central is the densest population of African Americans west of the Mississippi. While every historically Black neighborhood in Los Angeles has experienced displacement, the neighborhood of Watts was hit particularly hard. As more and more Black Angelenos are forced for one reason or another to relocate, we are losing our history and connection to Los Angeles.

As a way to fight this gentrification, we are developing an architectural language derived from Black culture. So many cultures have their own architectural styles based on values, goals, morals, and customs shared by their society. When these cultures have relocated to America, to keep their culture and values intact, they bought land and built in the image of their homelands. That is not true for Black people in America. In fact, until 1968, Black people had no rights to own property in Los Angeles. While others began a race to acquire land in 1492, building homes and communities in their image, we started running 476 years after the race began. What percentage of land was left for Blacks to acquire? How then can we advance the development of a Black aesthetic in architecture?

This project, most importantly, is a collaboration with the community that will be for us and by us. My goal is to take control of our image in architecture; to elevate, not denigrate, Black life and culture. Ultimately, we envision repeating this process in nine historically Black cities in America to develop an architectural language that will vary based on the history and specificities of Black culture in each area.

KILLING IT: The Life and Death of Great American Cities by Amanda Golemba, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, M.Arch ’20

Advisors: Nikole Bouchard, Jasmine Benyamin, and Erik Hancock / Independent Design Thesis

For decades, post-industrial cities throughout the United States have been quietly erased through self-imposed tabula rasa demolition. If considered at all, demolition is touted as the mechanism for removing unsightly blight, promoting safety, and discarding the obsolete and the unwanted. Once deemed unworthy, rarely does a building survive the threat of demolition. 

In the last decade, the City of Chicago has erased over 13,000 buildings with 225 in just the last four months. Not only does this mass erasure eradicate the material and the spatial, but it permanently wipes the remnants of human bodies, values, and history — a complete annulment of event, time, and memory. 

But why do we feel the need to erase in order to make progress?

Our current path has led to a built environment that is becoming more and more uniform and sterile. Much of America has become standardized, mixed-use developments; neighborhoods of cookie-cutter homes and the excessive use of synthetic, toxic building materials. A uniform world is a boring one that has little room for creativity, individuality, or authenticity.

This thesis, “KILLING IT,” is a design proposal for a traveling exhibition that seeks to change perceptions of the existing city fabric by visualizing patterns of erasure, questioning the resultant implications and effects of that erasure, and proposing an alternative fate. “KILLING IT” confronts the inherently violent aspects of architecture and explores that violence through the intentionally jarring, uncomfortable, and absurd analogy of murder. This analogy is a lens through which to trace the violent, intentional, and premature ending and sterilization of the existing built environment. After all, as Bernard Tschumi said, “To really appreciate architecture, you may even need to commit a murder.”1 But murder is not just about the events that take place within a building, it is also the material reality of the building itself. 

Over the life of a building, scarring, moments in time, and decay layer to create an inhabitable palimpsest of memory. This traveling exhibition is infused with the palimpsest concept by investigating strategies of layering, modularity, flexibility, transparency, and building remains, while layering them together to form a system that operates as an inhabitable core model collage. Each individual exhibition simultaneously memorializes the violence that happened at that particular site and implements murderous adaptive reuse strategies through collage and salvage material to expose what could have been.

If we continue down our current path, we will only continue to make the same mistakes and achieve the same monotonous, sterilizing results we currently see in every American city and suburb. We need to embrace a new path that values authenticity, celebrates the scars and traces of the past, and carries memories into the future. By reimaging what death can mean and addressing cycles of violence, “KILLING IT” proposes an optimistic vision for the future of American cities. 

• Tschumi, Bernard. “Questions of space: lectures on architecture” (ed. 1990)

A New Prototype for Collective Housing by Juan Acosta and Gable Bostic, University of Texas at Austin, M.Arch ‘20

Advisor: Martin Haettasch / Course: Integrative Design Studio Read more: https://soa.utexas.edu/work/new-prototype-collective-housing

Austin is a city that faces extreme housing pressures. This problem is framed almost exclusively in terms of supply and demand, and the related question of affordability. For architects, however, a more productive question is: Will this new quantity produce a new quality of housing? 

How do we live in the city, how do we create individual and collective identity through architecture, and what are the urban consequences? This studio investigates new urban housing types, smaller than an apartment block yet larger and denser than a detached house. Critically assessing existing typologies, we ask the question: How can the comforts of the individual house be reconfigured to form new types of residential urban fabric beyond the entropy of tract housing or the formulaic denominator of “mixed-use.” The nature of the integrative design studio allowed for the testing of material systems and construction techniques that have long had an important economic and ecological impact.

“A New Prototype for Collective Housing” addresses collectivity in both a formal and social sense, existing between the commercial and residential scales present in Austin’s St. John neighborhood as it straddles the I-35 corridor; a normative American condition. A diversity of programs, and multigenerational living, create an inherently diverse community. Additionally, a courtyard typology is used to negotiate the spectrum of private and shared space. Volumes, comprising multiple housing units ranging from studio apartments to four bedrooms, penetrate a commercial plinth that circulates both residents and mechanical systems. The use of heavy timber ensures an equitable use of resources while imbuing the project with a familiar material character.

ELSEWHERE, OR ELSE WHERE? by Brenda (Bz) Zhang, University of California at Berkeley, M.Arch ’20

Advisors: Andrew Atwood and Neyran Turan See more: https://www.brendazhang.com/#/elsewhere-or-else-where/

“ELSEWHERE, OR ELSE WHERE?” is an architectural fever dream about the San Francisco Bay Area. Beginning with the premise that two common ideas of Place—Home and Elsewhere—are no longer useful, the project wonders how disciplinary tools of architecture can be used to shape new stories about where we are.

For our purposes, “Home,” although primarily used to describe a place of domestic habitation, is also referring generally to a “familiar or usual setting,” as in home-base, home-court, home-page, and even home-button. As a counterpoint, Elsewhere shifts our attention “in or to another place,” away. This thesis is situated both in the literal spaces of Elsewhere and Home (landfills, houses, wilderness, base camps, wastelands, hometowns) and in their culturally constructed space (value-embedded narratives determining whether something belongs, and to whom). Since we construct both narratives through principles of exclusion, Elsewhere is a lot closer to Home than we say. These hybrid spaces—domestic and industrial, urban and hinterland, natural and built—are investigated as found conditions of the Anthropocene and potential sites for new understandings of Place.

Ultimately, this thesis attempts to challenge conventional notions of what architects could do with our existing skill sets, just by shifting our attention—Elsewhere. The sites shown here and the concerns they represent undeniably exist, but because of the ways Western architecture draws thick boundaries between and around them, they resist architectural focus—to our detriment.

In reworking the physical and cultural constructions of Homes and Elsewheres, architects are uniquely positioned to go beyond diagnostics in visualizing and designing how, where, and why we build. While this project looks specifically at two particular stories we tell about where we are, the overall objective is to provoke new approaches to how we construct Place—both physically and culturally—within or without our discipline.

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[Portfolio] Architecture portfolio of my undergraduate work (issuu.com link)

http://issuu.com/nickyi/docs/portfolio-2013_01-internship-ny-01-_7d7a03210651e3/1

One thing I felt conflicted about was inserting images of myself into my portfolio.

I started designing my portfolio with the idea to tell my personal "journey" intimately. By displaying a few photographs of myself in an appropriate fashion, I thought that the photos would add-on to my personal & "intimate" portfolio-concept.

The photos of myself in my portfolio were all related to the things that I've done during my undergrad architecture program (i.e. photos taken during architecture school field-trips or candid photos of myself working on my projects).

To take precedence, I read plenty of exemplary portfolios from other architecture students. Subtly/tastefully adding photos of oneself was quite common. Most seem to describe the photos of themselves as self-portrait piece .

So in the end, my completed portfolio made me worry that the readers will interpret me as a self-absorbed narcissist.

Even though I made sure that my personal photos kept some "anonymity" by displaying photos that did not explicitly feature my face (except for my CV spread), it still made me worry. [It's like catch-22 though, b/c your portfolio is clearly meant to highlight yourself in order to get the attention of the employers & graduate admissions. So it's as though you need to make your portfolio to metaphorically yell, "PLEASE HIRE ME BECAUSE LOOK HOW GREAT I AM." ... It seems impossible to display humbleness through portfolios]

So the major question is: Should I take out the photos of myself that are featured in my portfolio?

... May be I'm thinking too much into it after working on my portfolio for few hundred hours... but I'd still love to read anyone's opinion on it.

for architecture by architects

The Best Architecture Portfolio Examples, Covers, Designs | Architecture Lab

If one seeks the perfect architecture position, one simply needs the perfect architecture portfolio, and the following architecture examples, covers, and designs will be an excellent architecture portfolio guide.

A portfolio is something unique, a glossary of our personality, our thoughts, our creative thinking process, and our ability to express ourselves through different mediums. We all are different, and we certainly have had our differences when it comes to architecture in both built projects and ideology; as a result, every architecture portfolio is different. Yes, an odd “all are flawed, all are perfect” situation applies in this case too, a selection of the best architecture portfolio examples and their covers has been collected off the public domain to exemplify this.

Please take note that all these are public architecture portfolios that individuals have bravely shared with the world, They are all unique and they are all envisioned for a unique ideal job; these paired with a clever and creative business card and a well-thought résumé might prove valuable to a certain scenario but they will certainly be not valuable in all scenarios. Your design abilities will be measured by each office differently and so it will be your style, these means of expression are merely food for thought.

Table of Contents

Today, as we launch this resource we also trigger a Call to Action to all Architecture Lab readers, we invite you to send your portfolio for inclusion on the page, if it is creative enough, if its expression is “colorful”, it will be nestled here.

Keep in mind that the architecture portfolios below and the ones that will be added in time on this page are not judged from a project design point of view, we simply choose an expression that sends a message, attractive illustrations, graphics, clear presentations that speak about the design contained, a proof of visual identity and authenticity on the owner’s behalf, creativity, unraveled.

More details @  infolie.tumblr.com

Architecture Portfolio Tips by Architecture Lab

Before we step into line and color, we will highlight a few tricks and tips for your architecture portfolio, cast a glance!

• Contents and Length.  It is a time-consuming task as everything revolves around the world of “architecture” yet where’s a will there’s a way .

Keep that in mind.

Too often the first portfolio includes everything that the individual ever created. A big mistake. Approaching a firm requires presenting the portfolio in the interview, and a short brief via email, [at least] a two-page architecture portfolio. The solution? For two portfolios, you need your best in the brief and the best two, three, five following in the extended version. A third architecture portfolio could be presented online, an online version readily available through a link of each could often come in handy.

• Mistakes and Typos can occur easily under stress, so it is always advisable to ask a fellow architect to proofread your work, better safe than sorry.
• File Size can be a problem as you well know by now, big files are problematic. The exact file size for each submission might be different but keeping the file size below 15MB should help a great deal.
• Creative Flow  is truly important in a portfolio but this should never negatively influence what you are actually attempting to showcase, stay focused.
• Graphic Focus & Balance.  Yes, there are architecture portfolios that put an emphasis solely on technical drawings, illustrations, renderings or concept sketches but keep in mind that they were envisioned in such a manner, they showcase strength and you will definitely want to do the same. You send a portfolio tailored for a position in an office, imagine what the portfolio should contain to obtain the right response. You can always create a rendering architecture portfolio and a technical portfolio for different practices.

This being said all portfolios should have all the pieces of the creative design process in place. One simply displays that he fully comprehends the process and has the versatility to adapt to a new task if need be whilst his strength in a certain area will be highlighted accordingly.

• Layout.  Always strive for a clean expression, avoid clutter, and embrace white space.

If you want to avoid white spaces the design piece ought to be easy to digest, a quite hard task [definitely not impossible] to achieve considering the multitude of elements that a portfolio shelters. Pay attention to structure and readability, the architecture portfolio will tell your story.

• Cohesion+Details.  Design strengths lie in the details, by now, we know it. Use certain design motifs and cues all across your portfolio to generate cohesion, identity, and authenticity.
• Print.  Print it. Print it at least once to see it yourself, it is an archive of your own creative thought process, and having it in your library would be a great feat.

A common practice is to send a copy of your print portfolio to the office of choice, do this only when you are certain that the portfolio and the officer are in sync,

Best Architecture Portfolio Examples, Covers, Designs

Sebastian comanescu.

Design-wise. Color is hard to master and one could argue that parametric design is too, the blend between the two makes them great justice in an ironically playful expression.

What we like.  The entire portfolio presents a case that materializes as we progress, playful deeply conceptual pieces become “small” grasshopper installation experiments only to later end with the markets’ demand, real estate.

A playful ironic game of imagination and reality, a great display of skill.

See the full portfolio on issuu here .

Luca Gamberini

Design-wise. A sublime  balance between color and line in a rather rich-detailed expression.

What we like.   Sculptural organic designs set the tone yet white space maintains its strategic place, detailed sections and exploded axonometric designs immerse the viewer into a future world.

Nikolas Ward

Design-wise. The architecture portfolio cover design presents a section of a home, an evolutionary patchwork-process-patchwork yet the components present a clear expression, individually tailored around each project.

What we like.   The use of one color to present an entire project along delicate lines is sublime, the cohesion of the entire portfolio strengthens it.

James Richard Street

Design-wise. Grey sculpts an expression inspired by Metropolis’ theme, it brings forward color to create contrast.

What we like.  Coherent payout and great balance between text and illustrations whilst honoring white space, great attention to details, and information-rich content.

See the full architecture portfolio on issuu here .

Design-wise. Integration between digital and traditional techniques is seamless and natural; the hand drawings, the sculpture, and its photography are key parts of an online portfolio.

What we like.  A huge emphasis on symbolism, motifs, and monumental roots the portfolio into place and greatly welcomes the traditional techniques

Anton Giuroiu

Design-wise. Dense information-rich portfolio expressed through different techniques, immersive progression from one page to the other.

What we like. A patchwork of techniques and expression attempts that describe easily the site and the overall ambiance of the project.

Full portfolio not available .

Carlos Lozano Canella

Design-wise. Showcase skill in a creative playful color scheme with an extraordinary level of detail and information.

What we like. The use of color in a wire-frame progression, the blend of volumes in a coherent composition dominated by wire-frames seamlessly. Emphasis on the evolutionary design process and its structure.

Adrian Montoro

Design-wise. Delicate wire-frame expression filled with details, a technique mastered in color and black and white, atmosphere-rich designs.

What we like. White plays its role along the thousands of lines that embrace both line and color, where solids are used, they create great depth and instantly grab the viewer’s attention.

Design-wise. Sharp renderings take the pedestal and silently support delicate facades, sections, and model pictures.

What we like. The layered concept scheme and crisp renderings are making the architecture portfolio great justice, model photos side to side with facades and sections work great.

Claudia Conde

Design-wise. Exceptional wire-frame expression coherent throughout the portfolio embracing a contrast between white space, pink, and grey palettes.

What we like. A delicate detail-rich approach that flows and exudes creativity at each step, all design elements are tailored one onto another creating great compositions that narrate the project’s atmosphere.

Marya Filatova

Design-wise. Sculptural organic sequences shine in the portfolio, each project is presented differently at the cohesion’ expense, a stark presentation technique.

What we like. Contrast brings forward the design and highlights authenticity, color is brought forward to explain complex designs.

Artur Zakrzewski  

Design-wise. Boldness and strength define the expression of this architecture portfolio, a clear stance expressed clearly, sharp stance.

What we like.  Renderings and attention to detail feel at home here, they dominate the portfolio and as a result, a clear message is broadcasted.

Jaron Popko

Design-wise. Black, gray, and white palettes dense through texture are used throughout thus setting a coherent motif, spikes of color highlight certain areas.

What we like. In the layered approach, notice how extraordinarily small changes in texture or gradient present clean, simple designs impeccably.

See the full architecture portfolio on issuu   here .

Chung-Yi Lin 

Design-wise. The subtle presence of textures and transparency play is bringing the composition forward.

What we like.  Great attention to detail and the beautiful, delicate balance between the pieces, constant cohesion expression throughout the architecture portfolio.

Jamie Edindjiklian

Design-wise. Magazine-inspired layout serves different design pieces greatly in a natural progression, a natural order.

What we like.  Complete approach, all pieces of the design are clear and coherent despite their different expression, a hard, dense, and information-rich project easy to digest.

Yiran Zhang

Design-wise. White and grey alike are bringing the design forward creating subtle contrasts that highlight the sculptural shapes, orange accents represent the cherry on top.

What we like.  Coherent representation is a good showcase of how different techniques and project pieces can support an architecture portfolio design.

Phoebe Hiu-Nam Leung

Design-wise. Realistic renderings set the tone and ambiance, they’re silent solitude play draws one attention rapidly. Cohesive design, surreal expression.

What we like. The material feel of the 3D pieces is incredibly realistic and they simply cannot be overlooked, overall design expression infuses calm, and quietness.

Greg Whitney

Design-wise. Bold pop-art-inspired colors bring the portfolio’s design forward, and contrasts create an atmosphere.  

What we like.  The balance between color and line detail is masterful, it creates a great focal point that gathers the viewer’s attention in a glance, stops for a moment, and looks at the buildings’ surroundings.

Solange Knowles

Design-wise. Simple yet delicate as a meaningful expression, the portfolio above takes the approach of a journey one ought to follow.

What we like. One can surge inspiration from various other mediums in shaping the perfect portfolio, While the one above does not fit the architecture portfolio category, an artist surely could find it interesting, to cast a glance at how a simple journey, expressed in words is being shaped creatively, how it becomes graphic.

No two architecture projects are identical, no two architecture portfolio samples or portfolio covers can be identical; the examples above are standing proof, fruit for one’s imagination.

How do you see these architecture portfolios and which one do you like the most?

Do you there is such a thing as a perfect portfolio?

We would love to hear from you in the comment section below from architecture students and professional architects alike!

Leave a Comment

Explore Thesis projects from the Class of 2021

Review Book:  https://issuu.com/mitarchitecture/docs/20-01-05_marchthesisbookletsqsinglep  

Master of Architecture (M.Arch) Website:  https://www.mitmarchthesis.com/theses

Post -arium Arditha Auriyane Advisor: Mariana Ibanez

Priced Out of Paradise :  Reconsidering cooperatives in response to climate gentrification in Miami’s communities of color Adiel Alexis Benitez Advisor: Miho Mazereeuw

To Know is to Empower :  Chagos Institute of Environmental Humanities Chen Chu Advisor: Miho Mazereew

Reclaiming the Estranged :  Reimagining the Architecture of the Excess Sydney Cinalli Advisor: Brandon Clifford, Deborah Garcia

Ferrous Futures :  Scenario Planning for Global Steel Charlotte D'Acierno, Clarence Lee, Jaehun Woo Advisor: Mariana Ibanez

Seven Ways of Reading The House of the Seven Gables Isadora Dannin Advisor: Mark Jarzombek

Gardens of Resistance Nynika Jhaveri Advisor: Azra Aksamija

After Aura :  Authorship, Automation, Authenticity Kailin J. Jones Advisor: Azra Aksamija

The Factory of Coexistence Melika Konjicanin Advisor: Cristina Parreño Alonso

Screen Time Jeffrey Landman Advisor: Rania Ghosn

Architecture for Revision Emma Pfeiffer Advisor: Rosalyne Shieh

Thorough David Allen White Advisor: Mark Jarzombek

Spring 2021

Review Book:  https://issuu.com/mitarchitecture/docs/21-05-21_allthesisbookletpages

Master of Architecture (M.Arch) Website:  https://mit-march-sp21.com/

The Houseful(l)ness of Public Space Xio Alvarez (M.Arch & MCP) Advisor: Miho Mazereeuw, Larry Vale

Still Standing :  Cooperative strategies for the renovation of Soviet mass housing Ben Hoyle, Eytan Levi (M.Arch & MSRED) Advisor: Ana Miljački

Concetividad Alegal :  Remaking and Resilience in the bay of Havana        Lucas Igarzabal, Marissa Concetta Waddle Advisor: Hans Tursack

M.I.celium mexicanus :  Rejecting Modernity through Zapotec Futurism Lynced Torres Advisor: Sheila Kennedy View project site here!

Heirlooms :  In Search of the Fifth Ecology Erin Wong Advisor: Sheila Kennedy

Building / Unbuilding   Andrew Younker Advisor: Azra Akšamija

Space of Mind :  The Hidden Architecture in the Time of Pandemic Ziyu Xu Advisor: Axel Killian

Master of Science in Architecture Studies (SMArchS)

SMArchS Architecture + Urbanism

Third Landscape Dries Carmeliet Advisor: Rania Ghosn

Mediating Chana :  Seeding Synergies Between Doves and Development Eakapob Huangthanapan Advisor: Miho Mazereeuw

Mokumitsu Districts in Tokyo :  Urban Renewal by Housing Cooperatives against Disaster Risk Ryuhei Ichikura Advisor: Miho Mazereeuw

To Build Home and To Live In (U)Hygge Wuyahuang Li Advisor: Mark Jarzombek

Collecting Ideals :  Re-Envisioning Ejidos as Climate-Action Platforms Luis Alberto Meouchi Velez Advisor: Lorena Bello Gomez, Nicholas de Monchaux

Made in Rural China Siyuan Sheng Advisor: Brent Ryan

Generative Urban Design toward Thermal Synergy :  Inspire sustainable urban configuration under distributive heating & cooling schemes Qianqian Wan Advisor: Caitlin Mueller

SMArchS Architecture Design

Velvet Garage :  Narratives of an Education in Architecture Marianna Gonzalez-Cervantes Advisor: Liam O'Brien

Nightrise :  Through the Valley of Jabal ‘Amil’s Shadow Mohamad Nahleh Advisor: Sheila Kennedy

SMArchS Building Technology

Mass Balance :  Design Strategies for Lightweight, Thermally Massive Construction Systems Eduardo Gascón Alvarez Advisor: Caitlin Mueller

Evaluating Overheating Preventative Measures in Residential Buildings and Passive Survivability Yesufu Oladipo Advisor: Les Norford

SMArchS Computation

A Machine Learning Model for Understanding How Users Value Designs :  Applications for Designers and Consumers Jeremy Bilotti (SMArchS Computation & SM in CS) Advisor: Terry Knight

The Untold Narratives Rania Sameh Kaadan Advisor: Terry Knight

Sonic Others :  Metaphorical Sonification of Collective Events Wonki Kang Advisor: Axel Killian

Networking Knowledge and Experience :  An Instrumental System for the Personal Development of Individual Designers Bowen Lu Advisor: George Stiny

Sonic Urban Transformations :  A Computational Model to Study and Represent Temporal Changes in the Walking Experience Elina Oikonomaki Advisor: Terry Knight

Monstrous Space :  Architectural Production in an Age of Algorithms Alexandra Waller Advisor: Larry Sass

Investigating Design Intentions :  Use of Eye Tracking and Machine Leearning to Study Perception of Architecture Xiaoyun Zhang Advisor: Takehiko Nagakura

SMArchS History, Theory & Criticism

"A Great Civilizing Agent" :  Architecture at MIT, Drawing Education, and Boston's Cultural Elite, 1865-1881 Katherine Dubbs Advisor: Arindam Dutta

Surveilling Sin :  Locating Sodomy in the Early Modern Florentine Bathhouse Aidan Flynn Advisor: Kristel Smentek, Jodi Cranston

SMArchS Aga Khan Program

Fractured and Dissolved, Architecture Ablaze :  Towards an Understanding of Ayeneh-Kari in Iranian Palaces Reza Daftarian Advisor: Nasser Rabbat

Scripting Inclusion Amanda Merzaban Advisor: Renee Green

Master of Science in Building Technolgy (SMBT)

Using Urban Building Energy Modeling to Meet Carbon Emission Targets :  A Case Study of Oshkosh, Wisconsin Zachary Berzolla Advisor: Christoph Reinhart

Early Design Stage Building Lifecycle Analysis (LCA) of Cost & Carbon Impact :  A Seamless Addition to the Conceptual Design Process Jingyi Liu Advisor: Jeremy Gregory, Randy Kirchain, Les Norford

Machine Learning for Human Design :  Developing Next Generation Sketch-Based Tools Bryan Ong Wen Xi (SMBT & MEng in CEE) Advisor: Caitlin Mueller

On the Relationship Between Spatial-Temporal Outdoor Thermal Comfort Simulations and Bike Ridership Elizabeth Young Advisor: Christoph Reinhart

Bachelor of Science in Art and Design (BSAD)

Digital Narratives for Self-Therapy Rachel Seo Yeon Kwak Advisor: Lee Moreau

Digital Communities x Collaborative Storytelling Clare Liut (BSAD & SB in 2A) Advisor: Mikael Jakobsson

Concrete Alternatives for Large Scale Additive Manufacturing Chloe Nelson-Arzuaga Advisor: Skylar Tibbits

Image Credits:

01. Ferrous Futures. Courtesy of Charlotte D’Acierno, Clarence Lee and Jaehun Woo (MArch).

02. Space of Mind. Courtesy of Ziyu Xu (MArch).

03. Nightrise. Courtesy of Mohamad Nahleh (SMArchS Architecture Design)

04. Untold Narratives. Courtesy of Rania Kaadan (SMArchS Computation).

05. Mediating Chana. Courtesy of Eakapob Huangthanapan (SMArchS Urbanism).

06. To Build Home and To Live In (U)Hygge. Courtesy of Wuyahuang Li (SMArchS Urbanism).

07. Concetividad Alegal. Courtesy of Lucas Igarzabal and Marissa Concetta Waddle (MArch).

08. The Houseful(l)ness of Public Space. Courtesy of Xio Alvarez (MArch + MCP).

09. Mass Balance. Courtesy of Eduardo Gascón Alvarez (SMArchS Building Technology).

10. Early Design Stage Building Lifecycle Analysis (LCA) of Cost & Carbon Impact. Courtesy of Jingyi Liu (SMBT).

Published July 1, 2021

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Begin and edit your portfolio with confidence, and focus on what matters …its content.

Architecture Portfolio Guide

• Updated: June 5, 2024

An architecture portfolio is a curated collection of an architect’s or architecture student’s best work, showcasing their skills, design philosophy, and creativity.

It encompasses a range of projects, drawings, models, and simulations, effectively demonstrating their approach to solving architectural problems and their capacity for innovative design.

As discussed throughout all of our portfolio guides , your portfolio is one of the most important tools you as an architect and/or student can possess. 

Without a portfolio it is almost impossible to gain a position within a firm or practice, or a placement at a school or college/university.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Your portfolio is crucial for demonstrating your individual skills, creativity, and technical abilities to potential employers and/or academic institutions, serving as the primary tool for securing employment or admission.
• It must include a diverse range of work demonstrating design abilities, technical skills, and personal brand, tailored to the specific audience, whether for a job application or academic submission.
• The content of your portfolio should be carefully curated to include only the best and most relevant work, showcasing your individual involvement and capabilities in each project phase, emphasizing quality over quantity.
• An effective portfolio not only displays past and current projects but also communicates its authors unique style and problem-solving approach, significantly impacting career advancement and reputation within the industry.

There are many creative ways to present your work, from minimal and artful layouts to unique and design-forward thinking styles.

And through out seeking inspiration from other successful architecture portfolios, you can create a body of work that stands out and effectively communicates your strengths and capabilities as an architect.

Everything in One Place

Stand out from the competition, and create an interview ready portfolio.

Presented through the careful selection of drawings, images, text, and photographs, it represents a timeline and record of experience that demonstrates its creators architectural skills, methods, and capabilities. 

In this guide we aim to broadly cover all aspects of an architecture portfolio’s creation and presentation, discussing under the  different types of portfolios , what should and shouldn’t be included, design and layout techniques, formats, and methods of presentation.

01 – Architecture portfolio basics 

An architecture portfolio is a tool used to present and demonstrate the skills and services it’s author can provide to a future employer. Whether this is for a position within an architectural practice, or for a private project directly associated to a client. 

The same can also be said for new students who are initially applying for a college or university placement , although here there is slightly more enthuses put upon presenting an interest and passion for the subject .

Nonetheless it is very unlikely that any employment or position will be given without firstly viewing the applicant’s portfolio, as it is simply the only item that can physically provide evidence of their abilities, and provide a certain level of guarantee that they are capable of carrying out the work required.

So like it or not, your portfolio is ultimately what decides whether your application will be successful, it needs to reinforce your resume/C.V , support your interview persona , and demonstrate that you will be capable.

Do you need a portfolio for architecture?

In short yes, having a portfolio is generally considered essential for pursuing a career in architecture.

Portfolios are an effective way for architecture students or licensed architects to showcase their design skills, technical abilities, and range of experience.

A well-designed and curated portfolio can help attract potential employers or clients, establish a reputation, and communicate effectively with clients.

However, the specific requirements for portfolios may vary depending on the type of architecture program or employment opportunity.

Some programs or employers may not require a portfolio, but having one is still considered a valuable asset that can set an individual apart from other candidates.

Students pursuing architecture need to create a portfolio to:

• Showcasing design abilities : A portfolio allows students to demonstrate their design skills, creativity, and ability to solve complex problems. It serves as a visual representation of their work, including design projects, sketches, and 3D models.
• Demonstrating technical skills : Architecture students can demonstrate their technical skills by including technical drawings, construction details, and other technical documents. These documents show that the student is capable of designing a building that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also structurally sound.
• Highlighting experience : A portfolio provides an opportunity for students to showcase their relevant experience, including internships, volunteer work, and design competitions. This can help students stand out in a competitive job market.
• Communicating personal brand : A well-designed and organized portfolio can also communicate a student’s personal brand and style, helping them to distinguish themselves from other candidates. It provides an opportunity to showcase their unique design style and approach to problem-solving.
• Supporting academic progress : A portfolio can also support academic progress by allowing students to reflect on their work, identify areas of improvement, and set goals for the future. It can be used as a tool for self-assessment and to receive feedback from mentors and peers.

For young and licenced architects, there are similarities to above but in addition they must:

• Demonstrate expertise : A portfolio is an opportunity for architects to demonstrate their expertise, including design skills, creativity, and technical abilities. It allows them to showcase their experience and highlight their ability to design buildings that are functional, aesthetically pleasing, and meet the needs of their clients.
• Displaying design style : A well-curated portfolio can showcase an architect’s design style and approach to problem-solving. It can communicate a personal brand and unique perspective, helping them stand out from other architects and firms.
• Demonstrating range and flexibility : A portfolio can demonstrate an architect’s range and flexibility by including a variety of project types, from residential to commercial, and small to large scale. This shows potential clients that they have experience working on different project types and can adapt to different design challenges.
• Building a reputation : Architects build a reputation and establish their presence in the industry. By showcasing their work to a broader audience, they can attract new clients, collaborators, and opportunities.
• Communicating with clients : A portfolio can be used as a tool to communicate with clients, helping them to understand the architect’s design approach, project process, and final outcome. It can help clients visualize the end result and make informed decisions about their project.

02 – What should your portfolio show?

An architecture portfolio needs to show and provide the person reading it with a clear image of the range, amount, and diversity of your architectural skills, knowledge, and current experience.

For this reason it needs to (as much as possible) demonstrate that you are capable and have experience in each phase of a projects development.

Your portfolio should be treated as a personal statement and present the type of work you do and the methods used to get there, this showcases how you see things and presents the type of designer you are.

It should be populated with only your best and most current work (as showing work that is 5 years old does not indicate who are).

The same can be said for the chose of work presented.

Be careful to show only the work that you have had the most involvement in, this is particularly relevant for large projects where you may have been part of a team.

Don’t just show the 3D rendering (unless you actually did it) or a picture of the finished building, show the construction detail or plan arrangement you, yourself produced. Show your part and involvement, and honestly state your role.

Architecture portfolio sample

When applying for an employment position, most firms and practices will firstly ask for a sample architecture portfolio to be sent with your C.V/resume.

This should consist of two to five A3 or A4 pages (three is preferred), and be a very careful selection of your best and most relevant work.

This is about quality and not quantity, so aim to present one to two drawings or images per page.

If advertising for a position, it is very likely that the firm you are applying to will also receive a high number of other applications, and so at this stage keeping it short will help maintain their full attention, and provide the best chance of getting an interview.

The below sample portfolios from students on issuu provide a great case study of the format, size, and amount of work to initially send.

Portfolio sample 01

A full online version can be found here .

Portfolio sample 02

…Similar to the above, a full online version is available here .

The above portfolio shows how to correctly arrange an A4 page with just one or two images, making it immediately easy to understand, read and print out.

Primary/main architecture portfolio

Your sample portfolio has got you through the door, but it’s your main and full architecture portfolio that will ultimately be responsible for proving you’re the right fit for the position.

It should include evidence of all the key projects and areas you have worked on and/or have been involved in.

For students entering into the profession for the first time, you should always aim to present key construction details, as well as drawings and representations, employers will want to see that you have a general understanding of all the procurement stages.

For licensed architects, site experience and completed projects become more important (if available), and always include a sample of your student work …employers are still interested in this.

For both, presenting projects that relate to the employers work will help to establish yourself.

For employment positions that are specific, you should predominately weight and tailor your work to that particular aspect, whilst still showing (although a lesser amount) a selection of the other areas you have experience in. 

Primary portfolio sample 01

About the portfolio – Edanur Utkan is an Istanbul based architect specialized in landscape architecture. Her portfolio is divided into two halves: one for 5 architecture projects, and the other displaying 4 landscape projects.  

Why we like it – The bright, cheerful color palette unifies the entire selection of projects. Plains of color aid in the presentation of drawings and renders in a playful yet strategic way.

Layout is systematic to allow for comparison, and rhythm is achieved by the counterpoint of diagrams and renders.

Primary portfolio sample 02

About the portfolio – Mine Öztürk is a Turkish postgraduate architecture student at Istanbul Technical University. Her interests span from illustration and graphic design to theory and criticism of architecture, topics which you can see reflected in her work.

The portfolio spans across 6 projects with an emphasis in experimentation.

Why we like it – This portfolio succeeds in having its own graphic vocabulary that enhances the architectural concepts being displayed. The approach is playful yet systematic, and the disposition of drawings regarding images a

What should an portfolio include?

An architecture portfolio should include a selection of the your best work, along with information about your education, experience, and design philosophy. It should include drawings, models, photographs , and other visual materials that demonstrate the yout skill and range.

Additionally, it should include project details such as location, date of completion, budget, and any awards or publications the project has received.

The portfolio should be well-organized and easy to navigate, with clear, concise descriptions of each project and its design challenges and solutions.

It should also be tailored to the specific audience and requirements, whether it is for a job application, academic program, or personal use, and showcase your progress through architecture school, internships, and the profession, so to must the content of your portfolio.

Starting out and as a student and/or graduate, your portfolio will most commonly consist of academic and theoretical work from architecture school, unless you have gained extra experience outside of your course.

When transitioning from an intern architect / architectural assistant to a newly qualified architect, there should be a greater and more diverse mix of academic and built work experience.

Employers understand however that each applicants experience and exposure to live projects will be different.

As a newly licensed architect and as experience grows, so should the amount of live and built projects in your portfolio, and upon reaching a mid-career level and beyond it should be predominately focused on completed projects.  

However aside from the type of projects presented, they should all aim to demonstrate a very similar set of skills, that include:

• Hand sketching and drawing (freehand / digital)
• Creative problem solving
• Model making
• Construction detailing (and knowledge)
• Architectural visualization (showcasing atmosphere, story, narrative )
• Versatility (showing other interests such as photography , sculpture, furniture design, film making)
• Visual / graphical communication (software and digital skills)
• Industry involvement (blog, published work, lectured)
• CAD skills (general software skills)
• 3D modelling (general software skills)

If your portfolio is weighted towards one area and particular skill set such as construction detailing, then this is what the employer will focus on and what ultimately you may be employed to do. …so careful consideration must to taken to present the skills you want to be hired for.

03 – Architecture portfolio types

In this section we highlight the various types of architecture portfolios and provide separate links to our dedicated articles on how to best tailor your work to each scenario.

Whether you’re a new student looking to gain entry into architecture school, applying for your first internship, or a seasoned licensed architect seeking a new opportunity, your portfolio needs to be structured accordingly and grow with your level of experience.

Universities and colleges

Most of what is discussed in this article covers the methods and content that can and should also be included in a portfolio used by a student looking for an architecture school placement.

However new and prospective students need to demonstrate that they have the skills, basic understanding, and passion for the subject, rather than the physical work to prove it.

This as talked about, may mean doing some extra work to boost your portfolio outside of high school / college.

We have a full and dedicated article on undergraduate architecture portfolios that discusses how to create a portfolio for this exact scenario, where we provide a 14 step outline for high school and college students looking to apply to architecture school for the first time.

Internships and assistant positions

As an architecture student looking for an intern or assistant position in a firm, it’s crucial to make a lasting impression on the reviewer of your portfolio.

In just a few short seconds, you must showcase your design skills and demonstrate the competent and visually appealing manner in which you present your work.

To do this effectively, it must have a strong cover page (we has a full article on architecture portfolio cover pages here ), include your best and most relevant work, display your design process clearly, be visually appealing, and of course concise.

The advice provided in our guide focusing on solely on architecture internship portfolios aims to help you produce a successful body of work that will help you stand out and increase your chances of being noticed as a young and aspiring architect looking for experience…

Student portfolios

In this article on graduate student portfolios , we discuss how to create a portfolio for applying to an architectural firm for the first time.

There will of course be a lot of overlap with the above intern portfolio in the work you present, but by now having had some industry experience, your portfolio can begin to show real and possibly built projects.

Keep in mind that the format and content of a portfolio may vary depending on the firm, location, and position you are applying for.

Licensed architect portfolios

Lastly, this article on architecture portfolios for licensed and qualifiyed architects , discusses how to create a body of work with one or more years of qualified experience.

Of course, all the strategies discussed here and in the above article can be adapted to suit both students and licensed architects.

04 – Creating your portfolio

For those that have not created an architecture portfolio before or who may be looking for some advice on how to improv e their current one. The below 8 stages outline how to best prepare and create a new architectural portfolio:

01 – Choose your projects

You should aim to show only your best and most relevant work , and this may be tailored to the audience that will be viewing your portfolio, and/or be a selection of successful projects and experiences. 

You are (and must) showcase your talent and so careful selection is key, the projects you choose should demonstrate your range of skills, diversity of experience and be available to present in a variety of media’s. 

02 – Select appropriate drawings and images 

As mentioned above, the range of media you choose to present your work is just as important as the drawings themselves, diversification is important in order to demonstrate your varying skills and talents.

When selecting your drawings and images, you should aim for quality not quantity , one well produced and presented drawing or image is much more powerful than 5 average ones.

If you choose to present hand drawings, then make sure that the scanner you use is of high quality. You can take your drawings to print shop if needs be, and have them scanned properly.

03 – Choose a format

Your  portfolio format and layout should be focused on an A4 / A3 sheet size, as anything larger becomes too uncomfortable to carry and physically present, and anything smaller becomes too limiting.

A lot of practices and institutions will require you to firstly send either a sample or the full document via email before you get selected for an interview .

An A3 document enables your work to be easily printed out to scale, or downsized to an A4 without too much trouble and detail being lost.

Slightly unfortunately, the easier you make it for the recipient to view your work the more likely they are to engage with it …it’s not always initially based on the quality of work.

04 – Create a portfolio template layout

Creating a template unifies your portfolio and creates consistency for the viewer, it also makes the whole arrangement process much easier and efficient, as you are effectively creating a concept for your portfolio.

The general arrangement is a personal choice, but be mindful to not over saturate your pages with information, less is more here, and quality over quantity!

In our opinion a simple white background is best, unless a particular project specifically calls for an alternative. But be mindful to not overbear your work.

Programs such as  Photoshop and Illustrator can be used to edit and revise your drawings and images, and Adobe InDesign is without doubt the best desktop program for organizing and producing documents such as these. (Links to these can be found at the end of this article).

Other web based programs such as Behance, Issuu and Calaméo are also available, however as discussed below they can have severe limitations.

05 – Arrange in a visual format

The order in which you choose to arrange your portfolio in, should run chronologically and demonstrate each of your key skills.

Order and neatness are vitally important, and help to tell the story of your licensed development and career to date.

This process does (and should) take time and therefore should not be rushed and left to the last minute. Ideally you want to produce several drafts, and then leave and come back to them, show your peers, ask for opinions and get feedback.

To help guide you and speed up this process, we have created a set of over 300 cover, contents, title, and project template pages.

Built in InDesign, effortlessly copy and paste text and import drawings, diagrams and images straight into place, or adapt and edit their locations and proportions into further presentable formats. For information on this below…

Don't waste valuable time.

Forming a layout strategy takes time . Speed up this initial step with tried and tested arrangements that are ready to go.

06 – Create a front cover

The front cover of your portfolio will be the first insight into your work for the person about to view it, and it is wise to keep this simple.

The portfolio covers featured here demonstrate what you should aim for and provide a simple aesthetic , that is both interesting and minimal. It can consist of typography, a graphic, an image, and/or a representation.

The front cover as a minimum should have a title (often just portfolio) and your full name. You may also wish to state the college or university you come from (if a student) and what academic or licensed architect status you are.

The inside cover and neighboring pages are a good opportunity to place your C.V/resume, this forms one full and concise document, that will be useful both during and after the interview for the interviewer.

07 – Create a digital PDF file  

Some practices still prefer physical copies of portfolios (often just the sample) to send via post and will refuse to view anything that is not. Others are the complete opposite, and so read the submission requirements carefully.

For those that accept digital submissions you should choose one the methods described below. If sending your portfolio in a PDF format, make sure that the file size is no larger than 10MB (15MB max) to enable it to be easily sent via email.

You may wish to send it via WeTransfer or Dropbox to avoid large attachment sizes, however this adds an additional layer of inconvenience for the interviewer, and as discussed above, may move you to the bottom of the pile.

Don’t under any circumstances send Jpegs or PNG’s, this will look extremely unprofessional.

08 – Cover letter

Lastly and to add a finishing touch to your portfolio, you will need to add a personalized cover letter to each submission.

This doesn’t need to be an in depth analysis of why you appreciate their work, but at least make sure it is addressed to a singular (and the correct) person.

Portfolios addressed to “Dear Sir or Madam” or “To whom it may concern” are incredibly impersonal and make it very clear that the recipient reading it is just one of many. So please find out who to correctly address it to and provide yourself with the best chance of getting through.

09 – Orientations and proportions

This is also discussed in “ what to take to an interview ”, where we advise that you should base your portfolios on an A4 or A3 size.

If you want to experiment with a square format (keeping similar proportions), then this is also fine, however it does create more work when preparing and printing a final physical copy .

The reason for this sizing is simply because as long as you have been mindful to not overcrowd and cram your pages with information, then an A3 sheet printed at A4 is still easily legible.

We have a dedicated article on architecture portfolio sizes here , covering paper size, length, orientation, and file size.

Featuring exemplary portfolios and advice from a range of current students and young architects, “The Portfolio Guide” teaches you the tools, techniques, and principles to building a highly adaptable portfolio.

Take control, and learn how to craft and package the perfect catalog of work for both academic and licensed architect s portfolio scenarios that can fit into any interview scenario…

Every interview is different.

Know where to start and how to prioritize your presentation, for any interview scenario.

10 – Architecture portfolio website s

A portfolio website ( online portfolio ), hosts a digital portfolio that has been uploaded and stored onto a specific platform. This could be a section on your own personal website or commonly a dedicated hosting site such as Behance or issuu.

These web hosted portfolio sites are great for quick and instant online presentations of your work in a digital format, however they can have certain limitations.

For instance when firstly applying for a position, and simply sending a link of your work via email, online portfolios can become far less reliable and may even count against you.

This is primarily caused by students and young licensed architects insisting on using the free versions these websites offer, which are littered with advertising and/or do not allow copies of your work to be physically printed out.

This creates a terrible first impression and almost certainly contributes to putting you at the bottom of the pile!

However, fortunately many of these sites also provide a subscription based service that has far fewer restrictions and most importantly are ad free.

This (among other benefits) will remove all unwanted advertising, enable full and adaptive screen viewing, provide unlimited uploads and allow your work to be printed and downloaded, making it much easier for the administration team to analysis and assess your application.

Which in turn contributes to a expertly presented digital portfolio.

11 – Choosing a hosing platform

When choosing which platform to use, there are several good file hosting websites available, however issuu is by far the most popular and widely recognized between applicants, institutions and firms.

They have an extremely intuitive and user friendly online reader that adapts to fit any device in full screen mode, and provide ad free social sharing and printing functions via their paid subscription service.

For a demonstration of what to expect and for those unfamiliar with the service, follow this link to be taken to a shortlist of their most popular published architecture portfolios.

Exporting and sending your portfolio via a PDF attachment, is another common method of portfolio submission, and one that is normally done in tandem with the above web hosting method.

This provides you (the applicant) with greater control over its formatting and presentation, and also makes it as simple as possible for the employer to receive and view it.  

You should however be careful to keep your file size down and even firstly introduce yourself to the recipient, letting them know that they should expect a large attachment to be delivered.

As some architects and institutions do not like or except attachments.

Portfolio app’s

App’s such as “portfolio for iPad” and Minimal Folio provide a simple method to present images and videos on your iPad or tablet.

This can be a good presentation method for a one to one conversation and when presenting on the move. However as a primary method it falls short due to the requirement of needing the app to view it.

Self-hosted website

The best, most reliable and specialist method of presenting a digital portfolio is via your own website . This enables your work to be easily shared, found and updated with a range of text, imagery, video and audio.

For architects in particular it is hard to exist in the modern world without one.

There are many arrangements and platforms to choose from, but for ease of use and design, squarespace is by far the best. 

Digital portfolio storage

Digital portfolios are great until the file gets corrupted, lost, forgotten and/or saved over, so backing up and carrying a copy of your work to your interviews is vitally important.

Unless you use a an ad free subscription service such as the one mentioned above, do not under any circumstance present your work in an interview via a website, and do not rely on the email attachment you sent to either  yourself or the interviewer prior.

You must carry your own copy, along with a backup, via an external hard drive and/or a USB flash drive with a large memory.

05 – Useful portfolio tools

Architecture portfolio templates.

As discussed in great detail here , architectural portfolio templates provide a very effective and relatively quick method of generating what can be a very successful portfolio layout and presentation, but only if used correctly and with the right template pack.

A good portfolio template must provide sufficient format and layout inspiration , as well as suggested and directed forms of arrangement.

But they must never be considered as a quick or easy route to a portfolios creation, and instead be seen as a guide that can be used to speed up and aid the process.

There will never be two architecture portfolios that are the same, and so nor should there be a template. However we see many architecture portfolios advertised as a “one size fits all” with very specific style options and highly limiting bespoke design capabilities. 

Portfolio arrangements must allow us to tailor its layouts and formats to fit with our bespoke overall portfolio presentations and the individual requirements of the projects contained with it.

The final and overall graphical compilation is a result of the portfolios contents, not what is sometimes (often) supplied in formats.

This can be summarized by providing:

• A strong selection of templated layouts for cover, contents , title and project pages.
• A variety of appropriately sized and proportioned image and drawing locations.
• Simple drag and drop media placement.
• The option of both portrait and landscape page orientations.
• A section of key paper sizes and types.
• Be supplied in an InDesign format.

In our article dedicated to portfolio template types and selection, we highlight the pro’s and con’s of using such arrangements and discuss exactly what to look for when selecting and buying such a product.

You can subscribe in part or in full to the below Adobe products, where students receive up to 60% off the subscription price…

The next page in layout design. Create, organize, and publish printed books, brochures, digital magazines, iPad apps, interactive online documents, and presentation boards.

Start with Photoshop. The go-to for all digital creators. Impressive images, rich graphics, and incredible art Anyone can do it all with Photoshop. Get Photoshop on desktop and iPad with free trial.

Create beautiful vector art and illustrations. Drawing is just the beginning of what you can do with Illustrator. Create logos, icons, packaging, web graphics and so much more.

The Portfolio Kit

Building upon all of these discussion points, the below Portfolio Kit contains a highly detailed guide teaching you how to craft and package the perfect collection of work for both academic and licensed architect portfolio scenarios, and in both digital and physical formats .

This has been created through our many years of firsthand experience and using current exemplar work, we are very proud to able to present this guide, template pack and range of tutorials.

This kit teaches and shows you how to create a powerful and meaningful portfolio of work, that can (and should) grow and adapt as you progress through the profession.

More info on both elements of this pack can be found below…

To sum up…

In summary, an architecture portfolio, meticulously compiled with drawings, images, text, and photographs, serves as an essential showcase of an individual’s architectural skills, methods, and capabilities.

It is a vital component for securing a position within an architectural firm, practice, or for gaining admission to an architecture program at a college or university.

Here we have aimed to cover every facet of creating and presenting a portfolio, including the types of portfolios, the content that should and shouldn’t be included, design and layout techniques, formats, and presentation methods.

Portfolios not only demonstrate an individual’s design and technical skills but also their personal brand, style, and unique approach to solving architectural problems.

They serve as a platform for showcasing a range of experiences, from academic projects to professional works, highlighting the breadth and depth of one’s expertise in the field.

For those entering the architecture profession or seeking to advance their careers, a well-crafted portfolio is indispensable.

It supports one’s resume, enhances their interview presentation, and ultimately plays a decisive role in the success of their applications.

Whether for academic purposes or professional advancements, an architecture portfolio is a powerful tool that reflects an individual’s journey, skills, and potential in the realm of architecture.

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This Post Has 2 Comments

Thank you for this wonderful article, it was very very helpful.

Apologies for the extremely late reply Maham! …glad it was helpful

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15 Must see portfolios for inspiration

Portfolio Inspiration – A portfolio is simply a document that talks about your story as an Architect and designer. It reflects your personality , let alone be a personal statement of your style of work. It acts as evidence of the skills and abilities that you possess as an architect and tells the recruiter why he should recruit you or the client why they should choose you. 

While making a portfolio can surely be a tedious job, it is during this process that one truly starts to understand their expression styles.

Before going ahead with making the portfolio, it is important to understand and decide on the following. 

Type Of portfolio

Do you want the portfolio to be available digitally or physically? Although digital portfolios are more common these days, you can make a hand-held portfolio if necessary and post it. Even in digital means, you have to decide if you want to create a pdf or if you want to create a website available online. While a pdf can be accessed anywhere without the need for an internet connection, a website helps create a user interactive portfolio. 

Size of portfolio

The portfolio size should not be too large as it should be easily accessible to the user or client. It is recommended to keep file sizes below 15 Mb

Layout and style

Sometimes, the style of your work can influence the layout of your portfolio. The usage of white spaces completely depends from person to person, but it is advisable to avoid clutter in the fear of exposing these white spaces. The portfolio should not be too hard on the eyes as well as not too plain and empty looking. A colour palette can prove to be quite helpful if you are not ready for a black and white portfolio. One must follow a specific layout and style throughout the entire portfolio so that it does not look like multiple different portfolios put together. 

Selection of information

This process can be the most difficult one for some as it is difficult to omit those eye-catchy visuals or those details that you had spent hours on. But too much unnecessary information can be tiring, so include only what you feel is relevant and very important to explain the project. It is also important to create a fine balance between the visuals, drawings and text. 

So, here are 15 portfolios you must see:

1. Benjamin Wichman  | Portfolio Inspiration

For people who believe that their projects are more about the process than just the final output, this portfolio by Benjamin Wichman is the best inspiration there can be. With a perfect composition of diagramming on butter sheets, handmade models and sketches, Benjamin Wichman walks us through his thinking process. 

2. Compromises / Promises – Ali Karimi 

Along with the bold use of white spaces, Ali Karimi also showcases her poetic side of architectural writing in this portfolio. She describes each project with the help of a poem. No fancy renders are seen in the entire portfolio and colour is used only where diagrammatic explanations are required. 

3. Greg Whitney  | Portfolio Inspiration

Unlike the portfolio of Ali Karimi, Greg Whitney uses strong pop colours throughout his portfolio. He uses colour to create contrasts . The portfolio showcases a fine balance between colours and line details.  

4. Sebastian Comanescu  

Consisting of lively playful projects, the portfolio is a culmination of playful imagination and reality showcasing Sebastian’s strong software skills. Grasshopper software has been used for most of the 3D visualisation in the portfolio. 

5. Sascha Elzinga | Portfolio Inspiration

This portfolio is an expression of Sascha’s abstract design thinking and form making. By using the mediums of architectural and design photography and graphic design, she walks us through her projects and also showcases her skills in the same. 

6. Regy Septian

This portfolio is simple and well organized, each project following a sequence starting with a short description, site plan and analysis, issue statement , design strategies and concepts followed by plans, sections, images and details.  It showcases a simple layout with text and drawings that is not too hard on the eyes.

7. Wilmer Coronado Castillo

For those who believe their projects have to be felt to experience and understand the beauty of it, this brave portfolio can come as a great inspiration. We call this a ‘brave’ portfolio because in today’s digital age, he decided to create a portfolio that can only be sent via parcel. The bravery pays off as no architect will be able to forget receiving this intriguing looking box that contains some of his scribbles that ended up becoming the best part of his ideas. 

8. Farhang Alipour | Portfolio Inspiration

This magazine-like portfolio engages the users’  attention with its typography, font, placement of pictures, background and foreground colours, shapes and colours. The portfolio showcases Farhang’s interest in visual graphics. 

9. Aleksandra Soboleva

This portfolio showcases an excellent use of colours and graphics . Each project starts as a story with an exciting graphical collage. Human activities have been highlighted and given a lot of importance in every project, by zooming into each space and showing how humans use that particular space. 

10. Mar’ya Filatova | Portfolio Inspiration

This portfolio can come as an inspiration to those who practice an organic and parametric style of architecture. The use of black background to highlight parametric projects and ways to represent parametric projects can be understood with this portfolio. 

Inspired by architecture and filled with a passion for writing, MeghaSubodh is an Architecture student pursuing her studies in RV college of Architecture, Bangalore. Influence of people, culture and climate on Architecture is an area that evinces much interest in her. She is desirous of giving voice to Architecture through her writings and is consistently striving to improvise herself in this field.

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Architecture Undergraduate Thesis Portfolio | 2018 Muhyuddin | University Of South Asia

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