There are several tools you can use as a young architect to make yourself known in the design business: a resume of your personal educational background and working experience, the connections you have built with other affirmed professionals, and some evidence of your ability to work in team are very incisive factors in establishing your appeal and expertise as an architect. A portfolio can prove all this and make your application stand out among others and ultimately be successful.
As a post-graduate institute of excellence in architectural education, Yacademy asks its applicants to submit, along with a resume and a motivational letter, also a portfolio to gather a preview of their skills and sensitivity. The school’s students are then selected by a Committee comprising partners from some of the world’s top firms to ensure a high-level educational experience and the immediate placement of students in the most distinguished professional settings.
The Selection Committee of Yacademy’s new Educational Offer is thus composed by Aires Mateus e Associados, BIG, Herzog & de Meuron, Snøhetta, SANAA, David Chipperfield Architects, Foster + Partners, and Kengo Kuma & Associates. These studios are also tutoring the design workshops of the courses, which are aimed at giving students the opportunity to translate the knowledge acquired with the teaching modules into practice by confronting a real design case.
But how can you make a good impression on such prominent architects?
For several years now, Yacademy has been offering candidates the opportunity to have their portfolios reviewed and pre-evaluated before their final submission to the Selection Committee. Here are some key guidelines based on this experience which may help you put together a portfolio that may at once spark curiosity in the most notorious architects and reflect your identity as a designer:
- Keep it essential
Not all projects should be included in your portfolio. The more impactful the document is, the more it is likely to seize the reader’s attention. And to be incisive, your portfolio should include only the projects that better represent your approach to an architectural challenge. A long succession of projects would, on the contrary, be boring and probably repetitive, also considering that the Selection Committee is often flooded with applications, especially in the case of high-level institutions such as Yacademy.
- Copying is good
Including formats and layouts used by famous architects and renowned architectural magazines and websites can make the communication between you and the Selection Committee easier. By using a language that architects not only already know, but also recognise as professional, you can look familiar, knowledgeable, and smart. According to Yacademy, candidates who adopt a similar strategy are more likely to match the high standards of the Selection Committee than those who focus exclusively on being original.
- Mind the visuals
As concise as your portfolio might be, it could end up in the wrong stack of papers if it does not convey your unique sensitivity to architecture. The way you present your endeavours makes a difference on how your profile is perceived by the Selection Committee. This does also mean ensuring that your portfolio is easy to read and highlights what needs to be put in the foreground. Therefore, Yacademy always suggests valuing empty spaces in your presentation: designing through the void represents your compositional maturity and is always appreciated.
Images are the first elements that capture the eye and what can really impress at a glance, without mentioning that visuals are the core of communication in architecture. Suggestive and strong images can tell much more than a long text. Based on Yacademy’s experience, the Selection Committee is more likely to read a text after being impressed by an image than the opposite.
- Fonts matter
Choosing the font carefully is just as important. The Selection Committee will not try to decode contorted fonts, and the smoother the reading is, the more your projects will take centre stage. In Yacademy’s view, a good, linear font is much more decorative than any other element. And again, you can play safe by opting for something that is in line with the other publications in the sector.
- Be yourself
Your portfolio is more than a collection of projects – it’s a reflection of who you are as a designer. Representing yourself authentically allows your personality, values, and creative vision to emerge clearly. Betraying who you really are to make a good impression on the Selection Committee will not prove successful: you will likely come across as usual, not standing out among all candidates. Yacademy recommends always keeping in mind that the great architects want to understand how you think, what drives you, and how you approach design challenges. Authenticity builds trust, and a portfolio that feels honest and personal will always stand out — because no one else can tell your story the way you can.
The portfolio shows the architect’s design thinking, giving an idea of the designer you are and the professional you can become. It can open unexpected doors or give you the opportunity you were looking for. To be successful, however, your portfolio must be able to represent your approach, personality, and identity in the best possible way. It is exactly with this purpose that Yacademy is committed to offering a pre-evaluation of the candidates’ portfolio: to give talented architects the opportunity to study with the great masters and unlock their full potential, starting from the way they present themselves to the world.
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