This is great. When I applied to grad school all my 'portfolio' was was a bunch of papers I wrote in college and a graphite self portrait for the cover; but after 2 quarters I finally have a real portfolio to show. ...but it isn't online... i'll be next as soon as i open a flickr or whatever.

Ok - I debated posting my portfolio just because I tend to be so self-critical, but, here goes.
link
I applied to MIT, UPenn, GSD, and UOregon
UC Berkeley undergrad

very nice, i especially like your use of color. what is the size of your pages?

samsonolo, i really like your layout, the flow between images works well and the design is pleasing. i can't speak much to the content as i'm not coming from an architectural background. the one thing i'd say is that it does seem very monochromatic. not much color going on throughout. i see that the projects lend themselves to this treatment, but it might be a little too "white" for me. looks great though, good job.

8888, your portfolio is extremely well put together. i love the simple way you used the footer of each page to highlight the site/project. there are a lot of words on each page but i think it works well with the design and adds to the pages. the bicycle project page is great. well done. good luck

thanks salparadi. i think yours is quite beautiful. your photography is really wonderful, and the images you selected for each project seem to communicate the essence of each project very well. the organization is minimalist in its content and high selectivity of images, but it still feels rich. good luck to you too.

Skeerd - I'm not sure if this question was for me, but I just used 8 1/2" x 11" pages laid out horizontally, bound in the center.

samsonoio-

really like the textures in yours. just visually as a whole it has a really strong and unique gestalt. really dig the colors.

salparadi:
glancing through I think I noticed Kuhn Riddle in Amherst... I know a couple people working there.

Here's mine. non-architecture undergrad so its a bit different mix of projects from most I think. I've looked at it for so long that it looks like crap to me most of the time. Damn, salparadi your photos make me feel silly for posting mine...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/74833911@N00/sets/72057594050051955/

how important is digital design/ renderings when it comes to applying/portfolio?
the school i currently attend teaches form-z but we use it rarely. i am trying to teach myself 3d-max to input a few of my better projects, but im not sure it would be worth it. i have nice photoshop skills, montaging models into backgrounds, etc. and those renderings are nice.
any way, i know gsapp teaches how to use mia, and 3d_max to its students.

how important is digital design/ renderings when it comes to applying/portfolio?
the school i currently attend teaches form-z but we use it rarely. i am trying to teach myself 3d-max to input a few of my better projects, but im not sure it would be worth it. i have nice photoshop skills, montaging models into backgrounds, etc. and those renderings are nice.
any way, i know gsapp teaches how to use mia, and 3d_max to its students.

Pete - im also non-arch and my work is very similar themes as yours. Nicely organized and simple, from my point of view. Will be interesting what some others say..

Pixelwhore, did you go to UMASS? Kuhn of Kuhn Riddle is my father.

Tell your dad someone accidentally posted a message posted on his homepage.

here goes:

second quarter portfolio in-progress spreads without the personal info.

i need as many crits and comments as possible, since i'll be sending it out for coop jobs the first week of feb

5 I really like your work,
"the great swine", that metaphor can be used for any modern american city, very nice.

I dont understand the second page?!?!-I dont think it is necessary.

The built project is not extremely interesting, but for your purpose it is good to show you know how to build stuff.

The last project is very good, love the renderings and the drawings. I like the fact that you only focused on displaying one FULL project.

I like the sketches, but not sure if there is enough for the housing project.

Good job, and good luck

+q--thanks for the response
at this point I've got it all out on the table (i've only been in architecture for two quarters)
the second spread is attempting to show ability in graphics and drawing/drafting.
the housing project is a part of a studio in progress this quarter, so it's only 2 weeks worth of work
do you think the thing would be too thin if i removed those items?

i'm impressed! reall nice stuff, great layouts...yeah!

5-
In my humble opinion

I would focus on the library project and show all your skills there.

the second and last pages are not developed enough to help you. The Library is very nicely developed, and says more.

Your graphic design shows that you have other skills, and those projects dont need to be as developed. Continue with the "the great swine".

5,

i wouldn't know what a job portfolio requires, i will make my best stab at this.

it looks like you have one project representing a specific skill but it seems like you are highlighting the library/rendering skills above the others. if you have more projects sampling each skill, that might improve the balance, unless you are specifically highlighting the library project.

also, i feel that when you show only one example of something, it can be limiting. it indicates that this one is THE best which adds alot of pressure to the project.

1. really liked the fighting/making up photo.

2. you use up alot of real estate for the cover of the price hill library book. since this project is intended to show your hand drafting skills, you may want to enlarge/detail your pencil work instead. the axo looks like it would be more interesting than the elevation, maybe swap the sizes?

3. the flythrough of the box seems unecessary. also, since this highlights your ability to build, you shouldn't put so many 3d renderings of it. good place for the construction docs you used to build it perhaps.

4. i feel the library is getting all of the attention and the last project just sort of succombs to its weight. maybe add more concept sketches for the last project?

hope this helps (especially coming from a tyro).

While I do admire the amount of effort that has been dedicated to producing the portfolios shown here, I do feel that most of what I’m seeing here is graphically overproduced (some of these portfolios are exceeding 30 pages!).

Maybe it’s a reflection of my own design preferences, however my feeling is that the work needs to speak for itself in a very clear and direct manner. It is crucial to show a complete picture of the project, including process, however a good project that shows clarity of thought and execution can be explained with a limited number of images. I once had a review where a juror, after listening to me talk about my project for over ten minutes, explained to me that if a design needs that much explanation it needs to be refined. An admissions committee member, or prospective employer, will feel the same way about an overproduced portfolio.

I always find it helpful to take a look at published monographs of leading firms. The graphic work is usually clean, simple and elegant, allowing the architecture to speak for itself without taking a back seat to dense graphics.

My portfolio was crap. These are much better than mine and I got into Penn and Wash U would have paid me to go there. Harvard and Yale shot me down. I totally got into Penn based on my essay. I used all sorts of keywords like 'emergent,' 'science,' 'system,' and other things like that which I meant one way and they took as their way which I don't like haha. I'm from a geology background and didn't mean the words in the pseudo-sciency clueless architect way. I get sooooo frustrated the way some of these guys toss science around. The NLSO this fall was a total joke. I couldn't even believe it.

another non-architectural background m.arch portfolio, humbly submitted.
8.5x11 landscape, 11 double-sided pages, white-wire bound.

god help me...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10534456@N00/sets/72057594051001429/

very impressed vman. nice clean graphics and layout. nice fluidity.
thoroughly impressed with your Jumpstart stuff. I'm surprised how much you accomplished.

how long was that program...allowing you to design a roofscape and outdoor rest space?

the program was 6 weeks, though it seemed like it was much longer than that...
this past summer was the first time they ran the program, so they were still getting some kinks worked out.

Not directed at anyone in particular:

I agree archievil,

Although, many if not all of the portfolios displayed are beautiful documents, I was often times disappointed when I took the time to view the larger resolution images. We all know that drawings look better shrunken down on the screen, and I think that can be deceiving. Also, I might reconsider including some less than inspiring non-architectural drawings and sketches - the overall quality of those included is amateurish and/or just plain not that great.

The work is pretty good, but I also felt a sense of trying to squeeze too much out of it once in awhile.

vman - I like how clear and simple your pages are. It really allows me to stop and focus on each image rather than feeling overwhelmed.
I really wish I would have been better about editing. I think some of my pages ended up being too crowded.

ACFA - thanks!

vman....one more question... who was teaching in the program?

thom mayne and greg lynn probably wanted the jump-start studio teaching jobs, but they were beat out by recent graduates of various ucla grad programs...

vman, it looks nice, but the title? color craft and form? wow...........

kai, please tell me you feel like posting yours? You know we are all dying to see it.

I think I like vman's the best for its simplicity. Very striking. I wish I had simplified mine a little. Seems way too packed now that I see a clean example...

i totally agree with all the statement of the document itself being graphically neutral, or at least sparse. the work should speak for itself. the best portfolios i have seen have deliberately bordered on banality. i was going for something in that realm graphically, but i think i ended up overpacking my pages.

vman, you sold me at the table of contents. the only thing i recommend is that you more carefully consider how you size, space and center your images in the body of it. also, i'd drop the whole spread with the drafting/axons--it drags the whole thing down. i love you're approach to the descriptions, too. you'd be in if i was on the admissions board (unless your undergrad was in art/design...)

looks great vman. i remember your roofscape from the crit last summer. my only 2 comments would have to be that the text looks kinda big (maybe just a personal preference thing) and the danziger drawings should be dropped. it doesn't stand up to the rest of your projects. aside from that, i think you're golden.

Alright. Be kind. Please.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/73653910@N00/sets/72057594051424260/

hello everyone, all you guys totally rock!! i`m running low on confidence currently but still decided to post mine. i really wish i could go back to my alma mater and do some better work. -sniff- fyi i would be an international applicant from india. i`ve uploaded a few pics to flickr. are there more international applicants out here? i would like to see them coming too. oh, btw- i have an arch.background. click here> [ . ]

shazaam!

i`ve seen all your portfolios- but i don`t think i could say anymore than a few lines. :) not commenting on all the ones, especially the folks with non arch-

+q- i completely adore your portfolio. a very neat layout.. it just kept me going. yeah! it took me a few minutes to get my eyes moving from page 5 especially. that`s really good work you got there man. good luck!

geland- i`ve seen your works before... and wished i had more time to work on mine. great printmaking.

salparadi- i love your coverpage.

all you guys have great stuff.

oh wait, have`nt seen them all..

tINPiN--- I like your work a lot but in all honesty I am not very fond of your graphics and layout choices. I don't think it does your projects any justice. it feels as though you work was crammed in there.

i meant "your work"

+q - really nice portfolio. I am a sucker for pointy things ;-)

Love the ORL project, just beautiful. I'll have to look more closely.


Very happy to see UF (I graduated in '97) is still a top undergrad program.


Who were your professors?

hi Jdesp, thanks. i`d used 11"x 8.5"... still too much text is it?

+q, great portfolio! keep it that long. it's purely powerful when a lengthy portfolio has only good works. my only comment goes to your cover. if i were you, i would replace it with a more special stronger nasty ambitious image to be comparable with its actual content.

tInPiN, Ilike your work, but I would say, to add to the comments about being "crammed", the layouts appear consistently compartmentalized. That is the texts, diagrams, and images all rest in their own sections and never extend out. Maybe consider having background renderings that fit the whole page to tie the layouts together.

For example I think page 2 (the grey page) would benefit from removing the dark rectangle behind the text. And page 4 could look less compartmentalized with removing the dark borders and letting the white background bleed in.

I hope this helps.

it is more along the lines of visual cues. there are too many images per page, and you don't need them all to get your point across. the projects speak for themselves. alot of it has to do with your choice to add graphics like on page seven with the grids, or the blue fade in 5 and 6, or the squares on the corner of the pages...your work doesn't have as much kick as it should because there is a lot going on.

my latest redraft need help with order/omissions/additions

wow 5 it looks 1000% better.

I still dont like page 13-personal preference, I think that it doesn't say anything at all, athat you havent already shown me.

Page 3 is a little weak too.

But overall it was a HUGE improvement.
I like the fact that each page speaks at different volume. I have time to look and given enough images to care.

Good job getting that co-op, or whatever it is called!!!!

Just noticed that in some p[ages the font is inconsistent (i.e. pages 11 and 12) I think I like it better when you use good ole Arial.

+q. over and out.

thanks +q,
btw, what are pages 3 and 13 for you?

im guessing the ambiguity of progress title page and the shit with the library and roche+dinkeloo graphics?