Hub
Architecture Portfolio Hub
Every Portfolio Mentor guide, free tool and template for building an architecture portfolio, in the order you will need them.
Portfolio hub
Build an architecture portfolio that gets read
A strong architecture portfolio is a sequence of clear decisions: what to include, how to lay it out, which drawings carry the story and how the file reaches the reader. This hub collects our guides and free tools for each of those decisions, from a first year student portfolio to an application for a job or a master's programme.
Updated November 2026
Free tools
Free tools for your portfolio
Score a draft, check it against a list, pick a template and set your line weights before you export. No account needed for the free tools.
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Most Popular
Free Portfolio Score
Upload your portfolio and get an instant AI score.
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Free PDF
Portfolio Checklist
A 50-point checklist covering layout, content, drawings and presentation.
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Free Tier
Free Portfolio Templates
Professionally designed layouts.
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Free Tool
Line Weight Calculator
Enter your drawing scale (1:50, 1:100, 1:200) and get a recommended 4-tier line-weight hierarchy.
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Free PDF
Cover Image Checklist
12-point checklist diagnosing the most common cover-image mistakes, exposure, crop, scale cues.
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Free Tool
Application Timeline Planner
Enter your target submission date and get a realistic 8-week portfolio polish timeline.
Most read
Most read architecture portfolio guides
The guides readers open most often from Google search, based on the last 90 days.
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Landscape Architecture Portfolio: A Complete Guide for Students and Graduates14 min read - 2
InDesign Architecture Portfolio: Setup, Grids and Export Guide10 min read - 3
Architecture Portfolio Examples That Get You Hired11 min read - 4
Undergraduate Architecture Portfolio: First-Year to Application Guide9 min read - 5
Architecture Portfolio Size: Page Dimensions, Orientation and File Limits11 min read
Learning route
A learning route through your architecture portfolio
Building your first portfolio? Read these nine guides in order. They move from what to include, to laying out the pages, to fitting the book to the application.
What a portfolio needs to do, real examples that work and the mistakes that cost interviews.
Fix the page size first, then build a clean grid and set up the file in InDesign.
Adjust the book for an internship or a master's application, then choose between a PDF and a website.
01 · Start here
Start with the essentials
What an architecture portfolio needs to do, real examples that work, and the mistakes that cost interviews.
Portfolio basicsArchitecture Portfolio: The Complete Guide to Getting Hired
Learn how to create a standout architecture portfolio that showcases your design skills and gets you hired.
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Portfolio basics
Architecture Portfolio Examples That Get You Hired
Discover how to create a standout architecture portfolio that showcases your design process and skills. Learn key examples that can get you hired.
Portfolio basicsArchitecture Portfolio Mistakes: 9 Errors That Cost Interviews
The most common architecture portfolio mistakes that cost interviews, from cramming in too many projects to low-resolution images and missing…
02 · Layout
Layout, size and the cover page
Page size and orientation, a clean grid, file limits and a cover that makes someone open the document.
Layout and designArchitecture Portfolio Layout: Design Tips for a Clean, Hireable Document
Create a hireable architecture portfolio with a clean layout using grids, limited typography, and ample white space.
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Layout and design
Architecture Portfolio Size: Page Dimensions, Orientation and File Limits
Architecture portfolio size covers three decisions: page dimensions, orientation and file weight.
Layout and designArchitecture Portfolio Cover Page: Design Tips and Examples
An architecture portfolio cover page guide covering what to include, typography, layout, and first-impression tips with real examples for students.
03 · Software
Software, templates and digital portfolios
Set up InDesign properly, choose a template, decide between a website and a PDF, and use AI tools where they save time.
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Software and templates
InDesign Architecture Portfolio: Setup, Grids and Export Guide
Build an InDesign architecture portfolio the right way: document setup, 12-column grids, parent pages, image handling, and print and screen export…
Software and templatesArchitecture Portfolio Template Guide: Free and Paid Options
An architecture portfolio template gives you a ready grid and type system to download, customize in InDesign, and publish on Issuu without starting…
Software and templatesHow to Build an Architecture Portfolio Website in 2026
How to build an architecture portfolio website in 2026, covering web vs PDF, the best platforms, custom domains, hosting, and exactly what to include.
Software and templatesDigital Architecture Portfolio: Web vs PDF (2026 Guide)
Discover the best formats for your digital architecture portfolio in 2026. Learn how to balance web and PDF to enhance your job search success.
Software and templatesAI Tools for Architects: The Best Picks for Design, Portfolios and Productivity in 2026
AI tools for architects compared by use case: rendering, design, productivity, and portfolio or career help, with a starter stack for students and…
04 · Drawings
Drawings, models and photography
Make each page argue for the project: exploded axonometrics, collage, site analysis pages, model materials and model photography.
Drawings and imagesExploded Axonometric Drawings: Projection, Spacing and Line Weight
An exploded axonometric shows assembly and hierarchy in one measurable image, which is why it appears in almost every portfolio and why most versions…
Drawings and imagesArchitecture Collage: Making the Image Argue for Something
Architecture collage works in a portfolio when it carries an idea a render cannot, and fails when it is decoration.
Drawings and imagesSite Analysis in Architecture: How to Make the Page Count
Site analysis is the portfolio page most often faked. This guide covers what to gather, the free data sources you can cite, and the test that…
Drawings and imagesArchitecture Model Materials: What to Use, and What Your Shop Will Refuse
Architecture model materials divide into board for studies, wood for presentation and plastics for precision.
Drawings and imagesArchitecture Model Photography: A Portfolio Guide
Architecture model photography guide covering lighting, backdrops, phone vs camera, shooting drawings, and editing so your models shine in your…
05 · By stage
Portfolios for every stage and discipline
What changes when the portfolio is for a first application, an internship, a master's programme, landscape architecture or urban design.
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Portfolio types
Undergraduate Architecture Portfolio: First-Year to Application Guide
An undergraduate architecture portfolio guide on what to include, sample layouts, and how first-year applicants with no experience meet university…
Portfolio typesHow to Build an Architecture Portfolio for Internships That Gets You Hired
Learn how to create an impactful architecture portfolio for internships.
Portfolio typesThe M.Arch Application Portfolio: What Committees Actually Read
A master of architecture application portfolio decides most admissions, and programme requirements differ sharply.
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Portfolio types
Landscape Architecture Portfolio: A Complete Guide for Students and Graduates
A landscape architecture portfolio guide covering what to include, A3 size and PDF format, cover page design, student tips, and best examples for…
Portfolio typesUrban Design Portfolio: What to Include, How to Lay It Out and 8 Examples
What an urban design portfolio needs, from analysis maps and dimensioned street sections to process pages, read through eight public examples…
At a glance
What each type of portfolio needs
The reader changes with the application, and so does the book. Use this table to see the usual size and what each portfolio is judged on, then open the guide for layouts and examples.
| Portfolio | Size | What reviewers look for | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job application | Three to six projects shown in depth | Design thinking, process and a consistent layout | Read → |
| Undergraduate application | 6 to 20 pages of creative work | Curiosity, spatial thinking and how ideas develop | Read → |
| Internship | 15 to 25 pages, three to five projects | Design thinking, software skills and creative potential | Read → |
| M.Arch application | Set by each programme, read the limits first | Evidence of how you think, read fast in a stack | Read → |
| Landscape architecture | A focused set of A3 spreads or a short PDF | Site reading, concept, grading, planting and detail | Read → |
| Urban design | Sized for a screen, within the programme's limits | Moving between scales, from maps to street sections | Read → |
Portfolio Mentor review
What the full review scores
Every upload is read against ten weighted categories, and each category comes back with the pages that earned the score and the change that would move it. The review is scored against the level you select, so a student and a senior architect are not read against the same bar.
- Concept and narrative
- Graphic identity
- Technical drawing
- Diagramming
- Rendering
- Typography and layout
- Project selection
- Process
- Career positioning
- Production quality
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Most Popular
Free Portfolio Score
Upload your portfolio and get an instant AI score.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What should an architecture portfolio include?
Your strongest projects, each with a short story, the drawings and images that explain the idea, and enough process work to show how you think. Our guide to the essentials and the examples page walk through what to keep and what to cut.
How many projects should be in an architecture portfolio?
Fewer, stronger projects usually work better than many thin ones. The right number depends on whether the portfolio is for school, an internship or a job, which our stage guides cover.
What size should an architecture portfolio be?
Common formats are A4, A3 and US Letter, in portrait or landscape. Check what the school or firm asks for, then keep the file size within their upload limit. Our size guide explains the options.
Should my portfolio be a PDF or a website?
Most applications still ask for a PDF, while a website helps people find your work. Our digital portfolio guide compares the two so you can decide which you need.
Can I get feedback on my portfolio for free?
Yes. The free portfolio score gives you an instant review of a draft, and the checklists help you review it yourself before you send it.
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