An architecture job portfolio shows a few projects in depth, each opening with a short factsheet: location, client type, stage and your role. Mix process sketches, technical drawings and final images, not only renders. Lead with the project closest to the practice's work, keep the dates consistent with your CV, and send a short work sample first.
A practice reads your portfolio next to your CV. The CV lists where you worked and when; the portfolio shows what you personally drew, modelled or coordinated. Hiring managers quoted by the AIA name one common mistake: filling the portfolio with the prettiest images and leaving out the drawings that show how you work.
What to include in an architecture portfolio
- A contents page that doubles as a timeline of your experience and matches the dates on your CV, as architects writing for RIBA Jobs suggest.
- A factsheet at the start of each project with your role on it. This is the part practices look for first.
- Process work: sketches, site strategy diagrams and study models.
- Technical drawings: plans, sections, elevations and at least one construction detail if you have produced them.
- Final images: renders, model photos or photos of the built project, credited to the photographer.
- Software and skills with an honest level for each, which can be shown as a simple scale.
Write a factsheet for every project
On team projects, the factsheet stops a reader from assuming you designed the whole building. Keep it to a few lines and put it before the images.
Project factsheet (fictional)
[Project name] — [building type], [city]
Practice: [firm] · Client type: [public / private / developer] · Year: [year]
Stage: [concept / planning / technical design / construction]
Team: [number] people · My role: [e.g. produced the stair and façade details, coordinated structural drawings]
Software: [Revit], [AutoCAD], [Rhino], [Enscape]
Images: renders by [practice or name]; drawings are my own work
A page plan: work sample and interview portfolio
Many practices ask for a short work sample with the application and then look at a fuller portfolio at interview. Build the full version first, then cut the sample from it.
| Section | Work sample sent with the CV | Interview portfolio |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Name, contact and portfolio link | Contents page and experience timeline |
| Strongest project | One or two pages: factsheet, key drawing, key image | Full story from sketch to detail |
| Other projects | One page each for one or two more | Three or four projects in depth |
| Technical drawings | One detail or section that shows your level | A set per project, with your role marked |
| Skills | A short software line | Skills with levels, plus physical models or hand drawing |
| Extras | Leave out | Sketching, model-making or photography, at the end |
Student and graduate portfolios
School projects are expected. AIA's hiring managers say some practices ask for student work even from experienced applicants, because office work shows the firm's design direction more than yours. Label thesis, studio and competition projects clearly, name any team members, and add internship work with the same factsheet. For more on starting with little professional work, see how to build a portfolio without work experience.
PDF or portfolio website?
| Portfolio website | ||
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Applications that ask for an attachment | A link on your CV, email signature and profiles |
| Strength | Opens offline and is easy to forward inside a practice | Always the current version; no attachment size limits |
| Watch for | File size, and an outdated copy still circulating | It must open without a login and load quickly |
Hiring managers quoted by the AIA like PDFs because they are easy to open and share. Many applicants keep both: a PDF work sample for attachments and a website for the CV link. The portfolio website vs PDF guide compares them in more detail.
- How many projects should an architecture portfolio have?
- Choose depth over quantity. A few projects shown with drawings and your role tell a practice more than many thumbnails. Put the project closest to the practice's work first.
- Can I include projects from a previous firm?
- Usually yes, if you credit the firm, show only your own contribution and respect any confidentiality agreement. Ask the firm when in doubt, and remove client names or drawings you are not allowed to share.
- Should the portfolio match my CV?
- Yes. The projects and dates should line up with the roles on your CV, so a reader can move between them. See the architect resume example.
- Where do I put the portfolio link on my CV?
- In the header next to your email, written out as a short URL. Where to put your portfolio link explains why hyperlinked text alone can break.
You can lay out projects in the ArcPixel portfolio builder and preview them before choosing a plan; publishing the site needs a paid plan. Pair it with an architect resume that uses the same project names.
