An architectural portfolio is a collection that best represents your work, presenting the best projects and works in a well-designed composition. What are the characteristics of a successful Architecture portfolio? What to expect from a well-designed portfolio? In this article, we talked about what is expected from an architectural portfolio according to its purposes. If you want to revise your portfolio or whether you are going to design a portfolio for the first time, you can follow the appropriate title for your purpose in the rest of the article.
The Importance of Architectural Portfolio
Architects must have a portfolio to present their best work and leave a good image to both clients and firms. Your portfolio should reflect your architectural approach and perspective, just like your project presentations. In addition, the characteristic of your architectural portfolio determines the quality of your work. If you don’t describe your projects with a well-organized composition, your work, no matter how good, will not be interesting enough. You need to organize the best of your works in an original way in your portfolio.
The Aim of the Portfolio
- Undergraduate Portfolio
Architecture students must to have undergraduate portfolio to apply internship programs during the school years. For application to the best architectural firms, students should design their portfolio well. The most significant elements for undergraduate portfolio is consistency. If an architecture student has consistent contents for their projects, it indicates that you will do good deeds in the coming years. The important thing for architectural firms that evaluate internship applications is to see projects with a developed aesthetic perception, consistent and as detailed as possible in the students’ portfolio.
- Professional Portfolio
The professional portfolio mostly includes the works of architectural offices or architects at Senior and above level. There are some essential requirements in professional portfolio design. The most important thing expected in these portfolios is the detailed and quality presentation of the works. Regardless of the scale of the projects you work with, your projects must be extremely detailed if you want to present them in a professional way. The number of projects does not need to be large, but all projects included in the portfolio must be presented with a unique composition.
Grammar errors and low resolution in drawings are never acceptable for professional portfolios. In addition, your portfolio must have a theme and a logo compatible with this theme for the firm or individual works for which you prepare an architectural portfolio. You should add the logo to the portfolio cover, you can also use it on the pages if you wish.
- Business Application Portfolio
What is expected in portfolios prepared for job applications is generally related to the working areas of the architectural firm you are applying for. For example, your chance to enter a company that works on organic forms with your projects that include brutalist and sharp forms is not very high. Likewise, you can decide on the scale of the projects in the portfolio within the working area of the companies. A firm that stands out with its interior designs will mostly want to see your interior design projects, and if you have large-scale urban design projects, they will not be interested.
If you want to apply to a company that designs in an abstract language and participates in architectural competitions, you should submit your projects in a similar language in your portfolio. With a portfolio of mostly professional and realistic renders, your application is unlikely to be successful.
- Master/Doctorate Application Portfolio
Architectural portfolio, letter of intent and resume are among the application requirements for master and doctorate programs. What is expected from your architectural portfolio during the application process mostly depends on the school’s vision. Every school has an area where it concentrates its work. Likewise, the application evaluations will change according to the content of the master or doctoral program you are applying for. To give an example, when you want to do a master’s degree in the field of building technologies, you cannot be expected to apply with your portfolio that includes mostly conceptual studies and abstract language drawings. Portfolios containing mostly technical drawings and detailed application projects are expected to be evaluated.
