Portfolio for a leading architect pdf format example. Best examples of architectural portfolios

- I described the "skeleton" of job search technology, the very basics, and today I will start stringing "meat" - to talk about the nuances in detail. I recommend starting with if you haven't read it yet.

Today the topic is very important - portfolio design! A portfolio is the quintessence of an architect's qualifications, but it often turns out that a lot of work has accumulated, but we never got around to putting it together in a presentation form.

It just so happened that there is very little information on how to build a portfolio on the Internet and in the information environment in general. And it's almost impossible to find someone as an example, because all architects keep them like the apple of their eye, fearing for copyright. When I was making up my own, there was nowhere to spy on, I had to come up with my own canon and check in practice what worked and what didn't. As a result, I got several rules, from the basic ones - which affect general impression from experience and qualifications, to very specific ones - which may or may not be followed, but in the end they “polish” the portfolio very well.

1 Order of arrangement of works

There are two main ways - both work. And both have their pros and cons.

1) Arrange works in order of increasing importance (from earlier to later)
2) Arrange the work from the latest and greatest to the earliest

Pros of the first option:
When a potential employer scrolls through your portfolio, he will have an impression not only of the work itself, but also of the progress - it will be seen that with each new job you grow, and the projects become deeper, more elaborate and larger. Ideally, if this order coincides with the chronological order. But if it does not match, it is still better to arrange the works in the order of their quality increase. Definitely, I would avoid, for example, after an interesting competition work, next to put some not the most expressive cottage, it will look like a step back. And of course, the obvious conclusion is that everything should end with the brightest and coolest work.

Pros of the second option:
If the bureau is large, and dozens of applications are received there a month, the employer has little time for the initial review and sorting of incoming letters - therefore, it is better to put all the trump cards in front. If the portfolio does not catch on HR at the very beginning, he can close it before reaching the most interesting.

In mine, I typeset according to the first option - from educational work to practical. But next time, perhaps, I will do the opposite.

2 Year of the project

A very important rule that pursues the goal is to show continuous professional growth. Having figured out in your head how long it took you to build a portfolio, the employer will conclude whether you are growing fast or not.

3 Navigation

I have seen such portfolios, where not even the year is always indicated, but even the name of the project. It shouldn't be that way, the portfolio should be transparent in structure. Gentleman's set of information: project number, title, year, status (educational, diploma, competition, as part of a team of authors, implemented, etc.), a short annotation (explanation).
I indicated the number / total_projects for ease of reference. For example, 5/9 is the fifth in a row, and there are nine projects in the portfolio.

4 Number of projects

Usually than larger company, which means that the more applications she constantly receives, the more brevity it will take to make an impression. The usual number of jobs is from 5 to 10.

5 The project must understand its task

This point appeared because I saw works where it was not observed.
I mean, if, for example, you have a project of an area with a detailed development of some node (for example, a public complex). Sometimes you look at such projects and it’s not clear - either there was already a district, and you developed only a public complex, or the district was also designed by you. There must be a short (in a couple of paragraphs) explanation for the project - what it is, what, in fact, is the project, what was the task before the designer, how did you solve it.

6 In large projects, your role should be indicated

It is clear that when a project is huge, it was not done alone. You could participate in it as:
1) a member of the team of authors, that is, to do from concept, from fundamental decisions to layout, but simply not alone.
2) as a member of a working (technical) group, that is, not to participate in making fundamental decisions, but to do some kind of technical part (visualizations, preparation of drawings, etc.)

It is mandatory to indicate the role. If the employer still does not understand what you were doing in this project because you did not specify it, he will think the worst - "carried coffee." In any case, mistrust will appear in you, because you do not speak. Therefore, it is better to clarify. And be honest in this matter, especially since any experienced architect can easily check your words.

7 "Sharpened" portfolio

Making a portfolio for yourself is one thing and there are no rules. If this is a portfolio for applying for a job, then it should be "sharpened" for the specialization of a particular company.
No bureau in the world makes interiors of one-room apartments and regional transport hubs at the same time. Accordingly, it makes no sense to include both projects, if you have them, in the target portfolio (for mailing, not for yourself), some of them will be at the right place, and some will be completely by the way.

Here's a sample layout: This is a piece from my portfolio 2012 tutorial project. Just a note - the annotation font is beautiful, but absolutely unreadable here, then I replaced it with Helvetica. Ease of perception is more important)

And the most important conclusion, which we all strive for: the portfolio should be so clear and comprehensive that the employer does not have a single question at all. If you succeeded, it gives you a good self-manager who was able to solve the task (self-presentation in this case) as efficiently as possible. In this case, your interview will be reduced to simply a reciprocal self-presentation of your employer.

Each spring, architectural firms receive great amount a portfolio of students looking to secure an internship. These portfolios showcase the wide range of skills of young architects and the diversity of their perspectives. And although the variety is endlessly pleasing, it is still not something that should be paid attention to in the first place. The funny thing is that the more unusual the portfolio starts to look, the more you want to see something simple, understandable, made according to some principles. According to principles that exist outside of time and outside of place, which equalize the chances of material written by hand or sent to digital form, so universal that absolutely everyone can use them.

02.04.2014, 13:55 |

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The 5 portfolio design principles outlined below are product personal experience and are rather advisory in nature. And of course, it is not at all necessary to step on the throat of your own personality after becoming acquainted with them. But at least one of them is worth considering.

1. Don't think too long about your portfolio cover! This also applies to regular folders and presentation templates. Simplicity is more effective than over-creativity. If you have a smart idea, use it appropriately and don't waste time decorating it. The main thing is inside the portfolio, not outside.

For example, take a look at the Prat Paris 112 Rod Binder folder. Everything is simple and clear. Nice work material. This can then be found in the Library of Congress. If you're lucky...

2. The rule of three. A portfolio sums up some of your accomplishments. It should show you your best in three ways:

Student work. Inspirational sketches showing the first steps in architecture are available to everyone. If they do not suit you yourself, then it is necessary (or should have been) to change the educational institution.

Professional work. Even a week-long internship at an architectural bureau gives a lot of experience, because you somehow get involved in the real life of an architect, you can at least partially try it on yourself. In general, it is worth documenting in detail.

Personal work. There was no need to paint the cover, but here you can take your heart out, and at the same time show that you are a person with your own interests and beliefs and are an architect not from 10.00 to 19.00, but every minute of your life.

3. More images, less text. You knew about it! Nobody will read your portfolio, this is not Anna Karenina. The accompanying text should contain only the facts: the type of project, the name of the studio or the name of your manager, year, dimensions, materials, technique of execution.

4. Freehand drawings and drawings will always be preferred. Digital technology raised the level of visualization to unprecedented heights. But! Nothing demonstrates that you are a competent person like a sketch sketched in pencil. It will show not only that you can hold a pencil in your hands, but also your social and communication skills. Freehand sketch shows how you think.

5. Unified format. A portfolio should be akin to a story, in which the best projects are deliberately lined up into a clear, coherent presentation. Everything should be subordinated to a single visual system that flows smoothly from one page to another. Any disparate projects from separate periods of your creative life can be built into a storyline. And do not be afraid of time gaps - on the contrary, it shows your confidence that the projects you choose are really important to you.

And the last thing. When the portfolio is finished, for a moment it will seem to you that this is the most important document on the entire planet, this is the Holy Grail, in which your sweat, blood and tears are. But the moment will pass, and you will find the hard-won portfolio under the dusty heap of architectural magazines and folders with new projects. And then, if you followed five simple rules, nostalgia will not torment you, and you will understand that you did everything right.

Text based on materials from Build Blog.

Photo: Build Blog.

Portfolio tips.

A portfolio is an important document showing the level of professionalism. Evaluating the work in the portfolio, employers and customers hire, give new projects or refuse candidates. It so happened that I still do not have such a portfolio that I would not be ashamed to show. Often I even say that I do not have it, because no one requires it. There is some truth here, but in this article I will share some thoughts on building a portfolio that I myself want to follow, and I hope they will be useful to others.

The first and foremost function to keep in mind is that a portfolio should create a wow effect. A person who has scrolled through the portfolio should have the opinion that the author is a mega-cool specialist, albeit with little experience. Nobody looks at the portfolio, they quickly scroll through it within a few seconds and immediately form an impression.

Types of e-portfolio:

1. File in PDF format which is attached to the e-mail.
2. A page on portfolio sites like Behance.
3. YouTube video.
4. Portfolio on a job search site such as HeadHunter.
5. Own website or blog.

I consider the last view the coolest, it forms the greatest impression of a person. On my resource, hands are free for any ideas, so I advise you to create it. I will write a separate article about how great it is to have my own site.

A portfolio in PDF should be. This is a closed view, in it you can put, for example, working drawings that cannot be made public on your site.

The portfolio on the websites of work has the most primitive functionality, the number of images and their size is limited, so you should not forget to include a link to a normal full portfolio in your resume.

As I already wrote, effective presentation of the material is important. And even the submitted works must be brought to the presentation level. After all, the portfolio should contain only the most best works, even if a little.

We are solving the problem with the lack of work. Young specialists, for example, students, have not yet accumulated a lot of work. But you have to act somehow. In general, there can be no situation when there is no work at all. There are always courses that can be presented beautifully.

The most important advice when designing course and competition projects is not to insert whole "tablets" into the portfolio!

I think it looks terrible. Firstly, the arranged images are too small to be seen, and the layout is not always successful, because it was done on the last day or two before the submission. Secondly, such tablets immediately reveal that this is a student project. I propose to divide everything into separate images on the principle of "one image - one view (drawing)".

This article originally appeared under the heading "Qué es un portafolio de proyectos y cómo se hace?" (What is a Portfolio and How to Design It) on the Enlance Arquitectura blog, where the author shares a number of tips and steps to create a convenient and understandable portfolio for your job search. The point of the article is to understand what a portfolio is and what it should contain. The article also reveals the details of the nuances of the optimal disclosure of artistic intent and the implementation of architectural projects included in the portfolio.

Portfolio Sofie overgaard

Activating your workforce is a big challenge for young architects, especially when the competition is so high and you have to demonstrate and prove the level of your professional qualities. The main way to get into the job market is to always have a portfolio of completed projects. Many employers and firms will only give answers to a few who have a decent resume.

What is a portfolio?
An architectural portfolio is an introductory message that not only shows experience, but is also a tool that reflects the style and personality of a person, and also helps to distinguish the author from the background of others. If you are a student or have recently graduated and have no work experience, then you can collect a portfolio of student term papers and hone all your creativity while designing them. A portfolio can include work done in workshops, competitions, and other materials such as publications in magazines.

Yuwei Zhang Portfolio

If you have not done anything like this until now, then here are some rules that will help you navigate how to build a portfolio:

1. First, collect all the graphic material from previously completed projects and select the most successful ones to organize the content as best as possible. There may be plans, drawings, sketches, perspectives and diagrams that can show all your skill and style. Remember - not quantity, but quality. The point is to choose the best, not show as much as possible.


2. Once you've got your visual content in order, it's time to start thinking about the presentation format. V this moment digital format portfolio - the best way due to the possibility at any time to make changes or add new project... Choose a format suitable for printing, for example A4.


3. Come up with a template, making sure in advance that the backing does not argue with the content itself. We recommend using neutral colors for drawings (facades, plans, sections, axonometries, diagrams, etc.). It is not necessary to fill the page, remember that less is better, strive for rigor and simplicity above all.


4. An architect expresses himself through images, so don't overload your portfolio with text, because everything should speak for itself. Also, the main thing here is not the commercial level of rendering, but also manual feed, which shows your skill in performing cuts, constructive vision, spatial perspectives, realistic style and professionalism.


5. A simple and sophisticated cover should suffice. On the first pages, you can briefly describe your resume and basic contact information (phone, mail). If you want your portfolio to look more organized, do the content and page numbers as well. Save in PDF and you can send to the employer whether to print.

Recommendations:

• To achieve good quality drawings can be done with a scanner or a professional camera.


• For assembly, you can use Photoshop, Illustrator, Corel Draw, Adobe In Design and web design on Behance, Issuu and Calmeo. They will give your work a magazine look.


• Remember neatness is important. Check all the small details, text, font, signatures.


• Save PDF no more than 10Mb for easy mailing.


• To make your information about yourself and your portfolio more professional, you can supplement it with a cover letter.


• Feel free to compare your portfolio and that of your peers, ask friends and experts for their opinion.


• Spending time assembling a portfolio and preparing a presentation for its best implementation is a good thing.

BUILD is a full-service architecture workshop based in Seattle. The main activity is public interiors and private residential buildings. Since 2007, the team of the company has been running a separate blog, where they discuss issues that are topical for the architect.

1. Don't go overboard with the cover.

It doesn't matter if you choose a folder for a printed portfolio or a template for an online version - a simple and strict default style is a better option than being overly creative. If you have an interesting idea, of course, use it, but do not come up with something original on purpose just to be different from others to the detriment of everything else. Remember: first of all, your work within the portfolio is important, and the binding or website is only a means of presentation.

If you are making a printed version, a one-color binder with inner bindings and liners, or a sleeker version with a black leather cover, is great.

For online presentations, it is now enough free services that provide easy-to-understand templates with easy navigation and widescreen display capabilities. You can try Squarespace or Сargocollective.

pdf format is well suited for sending over e-mail or for uploading to services like Issuu, but do not forget that the receiving party may have a file size limit, so try not to exceed the file size of 5 megabytes.

2. The rule of three parts

A portfolio is a summary of your accomplishments in life. It should show the best examples of the three basic aspects.

Student projects: you shouldn't have any problems with that. Otherwise, it may be worth thinking about changing the architectural institution.

Professional work: get an internship at a good architecture firm as soon as possible. Even if it will be 1-2 weeks after the winter session, you will have the opportunity to include in your portfolio real projects related to a professional office. As you practice, do whatever you can and then document your work diligently.

Personal projects: it is important that your portfolio shows that you are involved in architecture outside of your class time. It can be anything: graphic work inspired by travel, or a small real object showing that you are not afraid to get your hands dirty. Remember, in the bureau, first of all, they are waiting for interesting energetic personalities.

3. More images, less text

This may be shocking news to you, but no one is going to read your portfolio. So take a deep breath and just accept it. Use the text to a minimum, sticking only to the facts: type of project, subject or name of professor, year, material, technique.

4. Freehand drawing is always relevant

Glossy fashion renders are beautiful and if you know how to do them you should definitely include them in your portfolio. But the fact remains - an architect should be able to express his thoughts on paper without any problems. This is not just a basic way of communicating in an architectural environment: your sketches also show the way you think. Try to include sketches in your portfolio, even if they were made on a piece of paper during the design and shape-finding process.

A portfolio without sketches and sketches is not an architectural portfolio, but a portfolio of a 3D renderer.

5. Follow the sequence

The portfolio should give the impression of a story that brings together all of your best projects for one cohesive presentation. It is necessary to adhere to a uniform graphic style and visual signs that would be repeated on all pages. A well-chosen format will be able to collect disparate projects from different years into one storyline. And do not try to fill the entire sheet entirely, do not be afraid of empty spaces on the sheet. This demonstrates your confidence that the images you choose are really important.

There may be a few more important tips and tricks to consider when building a portfolio, but these five have stood the test of time better than the rest. Every time a portfolio hits the table in the studio, these five rules set a good portfolio apart from mediocre applications.

However, there is one more problem that needs to be mentioned. Remember that your portfolio is not the Holy Grail or any other relic. Yes, you have invested a lot of time and effort in creating it, and at some point it may seem to you that this is the most important document in the world. But still, this is just a ticket to practice or to a new architectural school. Ultimately, if you followed these five points and got to where you wanted to go, your portfolio will quickly end up in a pile of old magazines, and you have the right to leave it there.

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