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Portfolio for architecture undergraduate degree

When applying for architecture at either Cambridge or UCL, does anyone know if the portfolio can be portrait orientation rather than landscape? I know that most portfolios are landscape but my son has a lot of portrait shaped artwork that he wants to include in his portfolio and so it will look much better in this orientation. I have not been able to find anything specific on the relevant websites. Thanks for any guidance!

Reply 1

PS Reviewer

Most sketchbook samples would be landscape and those are often the most important parts of a portfolio. That’s why portfolios usually end up landscape. Portrait work can be included mounted centrally in a landscape portfolio with either information (media, brief, references etc) in the blank space around the work.

Do Cambridge and UCL still ask for physical portfolios and not digital?

Reply 2

JCharlwood

Thank you so much. Both Cambridge and UCL want digital portfolios but my son is just working out what orientation to make the pdf pages.

Reply 3

PS Reviewer

Original post by JCharlwood

Thank you so much. Both Cambridge and UCL want digital portfolios but my son is just working out what orientation to make the pdf pages.

Landscape will normally be a better choice.

It’s important to curate work down for a portfolio. There will be a cap on the number of pages/works included and the key component in an architecture portfolio is sketchbook work and observational drawing.

Staff are looking to see how an applicant develops their ideas on the page so they can understand if that applicant is likely to benefit from the type of teaching and coaching and crits on their course. Similarly a demonstration of observational drawing (often including life drawing) showing skills in representing 3dimensional objects in 2dimensions is a key piece of work. Sketchbooks and observational drawing will normally work best displayed in landscape. A few finished pieces of work that are portrait can be easily “mounted” on a landscape slide.

But if he’s unconvinced then get him to do both orientations and play with different formats and layouts to see what works