I am applying to Berkeley, UCLA, Yale, and WashU as a 3-year M.Arch candidate. I have just finished putting together my portfolio and would love some feedback! I do have a design background (architectural studies major in undergrad).
I like the graphic layout and colour palette. It is surprisingly short for an application or is that the requirement these days? You want to maximize the page count and real estate on your application.
I find the architectural works lacking 'nuance'. Perhaps more detailed annotations, context, analytical diagrams, process, and programmatic studies that show evidence of design and conceptual thinking will go a long way. Afterall, this is M.Arch you're applying to... the competition is high!
Hope that helps. Nice work - the portfolio feels like I'm reading a magazine!
newbie.Phronesis
Dec 5, 20 8:45 pm
Very minimal and clean, and your graphics are extremely cohesive throughout! Like astronaut said, the nuance is missing - why are these projects being done, and why shaped as they are? Evident have a lot of thought put in though, and overall nice designs.
Nitpicking: the s of studio got cut off in first project; want full country or state name of locations (VT might be Vermont, might be somewhere else... But I'm not American, so take that with a grain of salt). May want to put the Habitat for Humanity project first if it won an award, though looks like you don't have as many drawings for it. Best of luck with applications, and cheers
gual
Dec 6, 20 4:13 pm
You have good work. The built project could get more pages. Don't be afraid to reduce the amount of stuff per page to really highlight things. I think you can explain more through graphics. In a work portfolio brevity is great. In a school application, you just want as many reasons as possible for them to take you. I usually assume the reviewers won't be reading anything, so I make everything super obvious through diagrams.
To give an example, the second project:
- I don't understand from the layout what story you are telling with the process sketches. Process is even better when it has a chronology or shows specific ideas that are transferred into the design... Sometimes fake process is better than real process.
- Diagrams would help explain the design moves. Page 10 is very subtle. Key sections or axonometrics can be used to graphically communicate what each portion of the design does. What is the context and why are these design moves useful? For school applications it's good to have the sequence of diagrams showing "I extended the main axis, I added trees here to buffer pedestrians and traffic," etc...
yoake
Dec 10, 20 8:07 am
nice works i hope you can get in! I have a few advices;
1- for the first project, really nice project but I think there are too many colours. why did you paint the inside of the plans? remove the paintings or make them less visible. also, the sky on the background of the renders and elevations (especially) too
2- For the second project, I think there are too many shadows and shadows make is harder too understand what you exactly meant.
Hello,
I am applying to Berkeley, UCLA, Yale, and WashU as a 3-year M.Arch candidate. I have just finished putting together my portfolio and would love some feedback! I do have a design background (architectural studies major in undergrad).
Thank you!
https://issuu.com/natealbers/d...
I like the graphic layout and colour palette. It is surprisingly short for an application or is that the requirement these days? You want to maximize the page count and real estate on your application.
I find the architectural works lacking 'nuance'. Perhaps more detailed annotations, context, analytical diagrams, process, and programmatic studies that show evidence of design and conceptual thinking will go a long way. Afterall, this is M.Arch you're applying to... the competition is high!
Hope that helps. Nice work - the portfolio feels like I'm reading a magazine!
Very minimal and clean, and your graphics are extremely cohesive throughout! Like astronaut said, the nuance is missing - why are these projects being done, and why shaped as they are? Evident have a lot of thought put in though, and overall nice designs.
Nitpicking: the s of studio got cut off in first project; want full country or state name of locations (VT might be Vermont, might be somewhere else... But I'm not American, so take that with a grain of salt). May want to put the Habitat for Humanity project first if it won an award, though looks like you don't have as many drawings for it. Best of luck with applications, and cheers
You have good work. The built project could get more pages. Don't be afraid to reduce the amount of stuff per page to really highlight things. I think you can explain more through graphics. In a work portfolio brevity is great. In a school application, you just want as many reasons as possible for them to take you. I usually assume the reviewers won't be reading anything, so I make everything super obvious through diagrams.
To give an example, the second project:
- I don't understand from the layout what story you are telling with the process sketches. Process is even better when it has a chronology or shows specific ideas that are transferred into the design... Sometimes fake process is better than real process.
- Diagrams would help explain the design moves. Page 10 is very subtle. Key sections or axonometrics can be used to graphically communicate what each portion of the design does. What is the context and why are these design moves useful? For school applications it's good to have the sequence of diagrams showing "I extended the main axis, I added trees here to buffer pedestrians and traffic," etc...
nice works i hope you can get in! I have a few advices;
1- for the first project, really nice project but I think there are too many colours. why did you paint the inside of the plans? remove the paintings or make them less visible. also, the sky on the background of the renders and elevations (especially) too
2- For the second project, I think there are too many shadows and shadows make is harder too understand what you exactly meant.
Your hand drawings are very nice.
good luck!