Architecture portfolio checklist (2026)
A reviewer at a busy studio gives your portfolio about 30 seconds on the first pass. This is the structure, the file specs, and the 20-point checklist to make those seconds count — built for the application (sample) portfolio, not the academic archive.
The two portfolios (send the small one)
The sample portfolio is what you attach to applications: 10–15 pages, 2–4 projects, curated for the studio you're writing to. The full portfolio is everything you've done — it lives on your site or comes to the interview. The single most common mistake is sending the archive when they asked for the sample.
Page-by-page structure that works
- p.1 — cover: name, contact, one image of your strongest work. No table of contents theatre.
- p.2 — your best project, best image: reviewers often decide here. Lead with the project most relevant to the studio's work, not your chronologically-latest.
- pp.2–12 — 2–4 projects, 3–4 pages each: for each, one hero image, one drawing that proves technical ability (plan, section, detail), one line stating the brief, your exact role, tools used, and year. Group work is fine — say precisely what you did.
- last page — skills & contact again: software (be honest about levels), languages, licensure status.
File specs studios expect
- PDF, under 10 MB — HR inboxes bounce bigger; compress images to 150 dpi, don't paginate a WeTransfer link into the void.
- Landscape A4 or A3, consistent grid, generous white space — the layout itself is judged as design work.
- Filename:
Lastname_Firstname_Portfolio_2026.pdf. Ten "portfolio.pdf"s arrive every day. - Drawings over renders: European studios repeatedly say a beautiful section beats a Lumion-sunset render. Show you can draw a building that stands up.
The 20-point pre-send checklist
- ☐ 10–15 pages, not 40
- ☐ Strongest project first, tailored to this studio
- ☐ Every project: brief, your role, tools, year
- ☐ At least one technical drawing per project
- ☐ Group projects credit your exact contribution
- ☐ Under 10 MB, opens on a phone
- ☐ No pixelated images at print zoom
- ☐ Consistent typography (one family, two weights)
- ☐ Page numbers; no orphan captions
- ☐ Contact details on first AND last page
- ☐ Filename carries your name
- ☐ Spelling checked in the application language
- ☐ No confidential client material from past employers
- ☐ Software list matches what the ad asks for
- ☐ Links (site, LinkedIn) actually work from the PDF
- ☐ Exported PDF fonts embedded (open on a machine without them)
- ☐ One-page CV attached as a separate file, same design language
- ☐ Email body: 5 sentences, names a project of theirs, no "Dear Sir/Madam"
- ☐ Sent to a named person where findable
- ☐ Tracked in your application tracker
Free tools for the job
InDesign is the studio standard, but Scribus (open source) and Affinity Publisher (cheap, one-off) produce identical PDFs — see the free software guide. Compress with your exporter's 150 dpi preset, not a random website you're uploading your work to.
More guides: the September hiring wave · working in English · free architecture software.
Common questions
How long do studios spend reviewing a portfolio?
Minutes at most on the first pass, often less. That is why the checklist prioritizes what a skim actually catches: file size, a first spread that says who you are, and drawings that show your role.
What file size should an application portfolio be?
Under roughly 15 MB as a single PDF. Oversized files bounce from inboxes or never get opened — heavy renders are the usual culprit.
Do drawings or renders matter more?
Drawings. Reviewers hire for what you can produce in the office, and technical drawings prove more of that than glossy renders do.