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Architecture Portfolio

as i am wanting to study architecture,
i have to prepare a portfolio for the
interview. I don't do Art, and I am a little
unsure of what to include. Could people who
have prepared a portfolio for an architecture
application possibly elaborate on what was
included, and quantity. If they have any
pictures of their work, or if it was photographs,
could they post them in this thread,
to give me (and other prospective students)
an insight into a suitable portfolio?
thank you very much.

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Reply 1

ArchiBoi

see the architecture society thread.

Reply 2

Fluster

I may be missing it, but I didnt find much specific discussion on portfolios, or examples, so I made a new thread.

Reply 3

jrhartley

Fluster

I may be missing it, but I didnt find much specific discussion on portfolios, or examples, so I made a new thread.

There is a discussion on portfolios within the thread, but it might be hard to locate now as its quite big now. If it would be of any assistance, you can see my portfolio here:

http://64.23.6.122/UCASbook.pdf

I'm not sure if that's the type of thing that they are after, but it's just an example of what you can submit. General guidelines are between 4 and 15 pieces of A4 size, so I edited down to 4 for the likes of Cardiff & Oxford who only wanted 4 pieces. Sheffield wanted 10 I think, UCL (Bartlett) 15, but I withdrew my application from there.

Reply 4

Fluster

thx jrhartley. even if it was rather intimidating. :smile:

very impressive stuff - particularly liked the photograph and the end drawing.
anyone else?

Reply 5

jrhartley

thanks. i think the key message i got from speaking to people who had applied for art & design based degrees is to make sure you incorporate a range of styles - i.e. models, drawings, photos, mixed-media, painting. my impression is better to be ok at a few different methods of representation than amazing at one but useless at the others.

Reply 6

REChoppy

I'm an American student and just applied to study abroad at the Bartlett for spring 2006. Leeds is a second choice. I wont be taking Architecture courses (year long only.) I'll be taking planning and construction mgt. I'm focusing on urban planning and sustainability to complement my American mechanical engineering studies.

anyway, here's a picture of the portfolio I sent to the Bartlett. Sorry, only photos I have! It's a simple spiral bound collection of work from high school, paid work, and free time. Main showcase is a comprehensive plan for a redevelopment of my village's central business district I volunteered to the planning committee. I hear from the Bartlett by end of November.

i like the last pic best REChoppy! ....besides that face on the front page of the book on the shelf is pretty cool, reminds me of something i've seen done in my art class.

Well, My portfolio is going to be the BEST THE WORLD'S EVER SEEN.............MWWAAAHAHAHAHAHA :biggrin:

......j/k

Reply 8

larchitecturel

"I'm not sure if that's the type of thing that they are after, but it's just an example of what you can submit. General guidelines are between 4 and 15 pieces of A4 size, so I edited down to 4 for the likes of Cardiff & Oxford who only wanted 4 pieces. Sheffield wanted 10 I think, UCL (Bartlett) 15, but I withdrew my application from there."

I thought you didnt have to send you portfolio to UCL or Sheffield... only cardiff ... Am i correct. :confused:

Reply 9

AdamJCook

I was under the presumption the portfolio was a collection of mostly sketched objects. After seeing all this writing and photography I've become somewhat unassured, could someone confirm what a typically desired portfolio should contain?

Furthermore Manchester just recently specified they'd require six pieces, three showing emotional or aesthetic response to the subject and three more to display my understanding of form and how parts relate to one another. Could someone, preferably a Mancunian architecture student, elaborate?

Reply 10

goodbyecasio

i took 15 a2 pieces of mixed work, and an a4 sketchbook from AS art last year which i got full marks for, and an a5 personal doodle book of ideas. it was more than enough for brookes and probably sufficient for any other interview i'll have.
i don't think they want you to focus on how good you are at drawing, that will be pretty self explainatory. it's more what you've drawn, why you've drawn it and why you've used what you did. you have to be able to talk about what you have done. my interviewer was most interested in my photography and more abstract mixed media / collage pieces, and just flicked past the sketches really. but it might be different for everyone.

Reply 11

AdamJCook

Anyone know how I could get my work certified that it's mine? As it's the holidays I can't ask anyone from school, thus is a parent/guardian acceptable?

Reply 12

Forever-undead

The university I'm applying for requires maximum of 12 A1,A2 or A3 sheets of mixed media e.g. live drawings, collages, photography, computer aided design work, sketches!!!
Now do I have to include all those things or not???

Reply 13

Jfranny

Forever-undead

four year bump ftw? :confused:

huh???

Forever-undead

huh???

This thread is 4 years old, it's a bit random that you chose to post here lol but no worries :smile:

You don't have to include all of those things, they're just examples of what you could include. I assume that's what you're referring to anyway?

Where are you applying, just out of interest?

Reply 16

Forever-undead

did not know that!!! I am applying for Kingston and UCA (well those 2 are my top choices)

Reply 17

Vilte

Hey guys, I'm also applying for architecture and one of my choices is Manchester. And I got a letter where I'm asked to do the drawing test and send them 6 sheets of my drawings by post. As they say it may include life drawing, parts of buildings or simple machines or anything else I'd like to put in. But I think it would be good to do those kind of things they mentioned and now I'm wondering what I should do with those 'simple machines'... Any suggestions? Do u think it would be good to draw for example an iron or a sewing machine?

Reply 18

jrhartley

an iron isn't a machine. an old iron is just an iron, and a new iron is an appliance. i would suggest you check the definition of machine before drawing anything.

Reply 19

Doditta

Hello everyone
I am also applying to Sheffield and my submission was postponed (thanks God). I wanted to ask about some things after I looked through jrhartley's portfolio (sorry for mistakes, im not native English). Actually, I found there are very few images and I think with more of them I could "feel the flow", because it feels quite.. dry? And I cant read the small stuff from the AA's project (I can't show work I did with whole team right? and it's process?). Should we focus on quality over quantity, put one image for 1.pencil sketch 2.ex.coal drawing, 3. product design or 4. installation etc. even though I have more good ones? Sometimes, I need to show the process, or show more images than just one, for example 2 pictures horizontally or even more, smaller with one bigger. I'd want to divide the portfolio of Word pages into topics (should it be by means, ex.pencil or by topic, ex. sketchbook?). If I want to merge few sketches, can I just put them one next to another in Word or should I make photo of them together, or merge them as one jpg-does it has to look like a collage or can it be just rectangular pictures together? I want to put the explanations of my work on the first pages, next to the image (just as in jr's), but how much can I write for each? Is there a page limit or just limit of 10 images (.jpg)? Also, how do I provide the school principal's (or whom?) signature that it's my own work: just "I confirm that is XY's work. Signature. Shool stamp." page?
I have never done a portfolio before. Please reply as fast as possible.