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The Top 5 Mistakes Architecture Students Make in Their Portfolios

Natalie Perri

Updated: Jun 16, 2023

If you're an architecture student, chances are you're going to have to create a portfolio. A portfolio is a collection of pieces from your work that's meant to showcase what you can do. It's something that most architecture students need to show off when applying for jobs or internships in the field. However, it can be difficult coming up with ideas for how to put together an effective portfolio—especially if you've never done one before! In this blog post, we'll walk through five common mistakes that architecture students make with their portfolios and then discuss how they could be improved upon.


Check out this article if you want to know the top 5 mistakes architecture students make in their portfolios!



If you are an architecture student, or are planning on becoming one in the future, it's important to be aware of the mistakes that other architecture students make in their portfolios. You can learn from these mistakes and avoid them yourself!


A good portfolio will:
  • Showcase your ability as an architect.

  • Attract employers who might hire you.

  • Help get you into a good school (or keep your current school happy).


It's also important to remember that there are lots of ways to make a bad impression on admissions officers when it comes time for them to look at your application materials--and one of those ways is having poor-quality work in your portfolio!


1. Making your portfolio look like a magazine


A portfolio is not a magazine. A portfolio should be a representation of your work and experience, not an advertisement for yourself as a designer. If you want to make a magazine, do it on your own time--but don't put it in your architecture portfolio!


You may be tempted to add lots of pictures and text because they look nice and are easy to create, but this isn't the right way to go about building an effective portfolio.


2. Not having enough projects


The number of projects you include in your portfolio should be determined by the type of job you're applying for. If you're applying for an entry level position, it's best to have around 8-10 projects. For more senior positions or internships, 12-15 projects should suffice.


In addition to having enough projects in your portfolio, make sure that they are varied and showcase your best work. Don't include any project where you weren't able (or willing) to do everything yourself - only put those on display if they show off skills needed for the position at hand!


3. Not providing enough information about each project


Providing a brief description of each project is a great way to give the reader a sense of what was involved in the process. The reader should be able to understand how the project was executed, why it was chosen and why it was successful. It's also important that you explain how this project fits into your portfolio as well as your overall architecture curriculum.


As an example:


For this project I created an urban facade for an existing building using reclaimed materials from local sources. This design approach allowed me to reuse material wastefully while also creating unique patterns on both sides of the facade which connected visually with nearby buildings through repetition and contrast in coloration and formality


4. Typography overload


Using more than three typefaces in your portfolio is a surefire way to make your work look unprofessional. It can also be confusing for the viewer and make it difficult for them to understand what you are trying to say.


There are some exceptions, such as when you're using a logo with multiple fonts or if you are creating a specific design concept that requires multiple typefaces (for example, an editorial spread about typography). However, these situations are rare and should be used sparingly unless absolutely necessary.


When selecting fonts for your portfolio, stick with two main ones: one serif font (such as Bodoni) and one sans-serif font (such as Helvetica). Serifs are great for body text because they help guide the eye across each line of text while sans-serifs work well in headlines because they tend not distract from other elements on the page such as images or graphics


5. Not proofreading before sending it off to be reviewed


Not proofreading before sending it off to be reviewed


Proofreading is important, and not just in the traditional sense of making sure you don't have any typos or grammatical errors. You need to make sure that your portfolio makes sense and flows well when read aloud (which can be done by reading it out loud). Also, if possible, ask someone else who has experience in the field or knows about architecture in general to review your portfolio for clarity and accuracy.



I hope that this article has helped you to avoid some common mistakes when it comes to your architecture portfolio. Remember that a strong portfolio is essential for getting into any school, so make sure you take the time needed to make yours stand out!

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