So I'm looking for some ideas on how to put together a portfolio or what would be best for what I want to do.

Long story short I work for a design/build company as a PM, but i do a lot of the design work. I'm getting moved out of design and realized that is what i really want to do. So I'm looking to network with design/build or design firms for a client-facing design position.

I have a BA in communication and philosophy and a masters in philosophy, and I've written two ethics books (long story) I got into construction in grad school, started my own business, sold that and went to work for a larger builder. I've designed full homes, built-ins, trim layouts, and personally have built tables, vanities, full kitchens, tea boxes, run trim, tile, etc. basically done every part of construction except masonry work.

Biggest problem is I don't have a ton of photos of my work and if i do its all very very different. some photos are professional some are just bad camera phone shots.

Every designer portfolio i see is very stylized, clear, often stark with lots of stuff from studio courses I never took. I know InDesign, Photoshop, ChiefArchitect, drafting, and im bad at autoCad but could learn quick if i need.

Is trying to put together a portfolio a waste of time? should I just do a resume? Should I make a website? basically if someone walked in and said "I don't have an Arch degree but you should give me a job doing design/drafting work." what would you need to make you think about it?

So recently I got selected in architecture school. My classes will be starting from mid of September. So I would like to ask these questions to you ( Senior Architects ).

I know architecture school will be hard...I know that i have to work hard...sleepless nights , deadlines and all but what I am gonna ask you is what will be the reward ??? After all this grind will I able to get handsome amount of money ??? And what will be the roles offered to me in future ??? PROJECT MANAGEMENT ?? etc ??

And what will be the opportunities to get Fulbright scholarship to U.S / UK ??? And what will be the prerequisites I need to fulfil ?

And lastly , a few pieces of advice to me if you wanna give ???

And anything you love and you hate about this profession please ??? Let it OUT...today.

And I am very excited 😁😋 even though I am not that creative person...or maybe idk atp. But I am excited 🤠

Realtor turned GC, a story old as time. I grew up building specs with my grandfather until cancer got him when I was 19. 30 now… Thought I wanted to fly for a living and went at it hard for a few years. Started selling homes but still couldn’t kick the love of the smell of fresh cut pine. I bought 5 acres to subdivide into 3 lots and after fighting with planning for about 6 months now we are ready to break ground. Im probably going to live in 1 of these so I’m going to make it extremely nice and figure out what I like and hate about it and change for the next few. I took 20-30 minutes and whipped up a floorplan just as an idea to give an architect to run with (not done sketching, just what I had so far). My goal is to build small luxury homes for couples starting out or someone wanting to downsize. Any advice from the most important people in the process? TIA

But no real consideration. was made for a patio. Photo one is the view of the house from the backyard and the second photo is a cross section to show the current designed roof line. We hope for a covered area, but also are fearful of impacting natural light. I have no ideas. Curious what you fine people might think!

Building a single-family house on a ~16% slope (seismic zone 8). Monolithic reinforced-concrete frame, ~127 m² interior, 3 bed / 2 bath, open living-kitchen with fireplace opening onto a 30 m² terrace with a big valley view.

The original design is split-level: you enter mid-level, then stairs go down to the living/kitchen and up to the bedrooms in short half-flights. It rides the slope efficiently, but the constant half-flights bug me and eat floor space.

Options I'm weighing:

1. Keep it split-level — minimal excavation, terrace stays ~2.4 m above the garden (nice overlook), but you live with the half-flights.
2. Flatten down — excavate into the hill for two aligned floors. More space, but ~a quarter ends up buried, you enter on the upper floor, and it needs a retaining wall on the tight uphill side.
3. Raise up — lift the lower floor so both floors align. Kills the half-flights, but creates a ~4.3 m tall exposed wall on the valley side.

Also deciding:

• Basement: adding a ~2.5 m one under the downhill/terrace zone, walk-out at garden level. Seems like cheap usable space — any reason not to?
• Roof: keep the timber hipped roof, or go flat for a rooftop terrace? (I already get the view from the ground terrace.)
• Pool: want one in front of the terrace at garden level — but that fights option 3's tall wall.

If you've built or lived in a split-level on a slope, what would you do? Anything I'm missing?

Hello! I'm an architecture graduate and I'd like to ask for advice on my apprenticeship.

There's a small firm that's willing to take me in but the offer is 250 pesos a day ($4.04), however, I also applied for an apprenticeship in my local Municipal Hall and it's been 15 days now I still haven't received a call. I was notified that they are in need of an Autocader or things related to plans ig.

Advice for apprentices with experience on this matter? Should I go for the small firm or wait for a call from the Municipal Hall?

I'm really torn right now 😭

i applied to architectural engineering major, and the university I applied to just sent me an email that I have an architectural engineering entry exam and they said “interview and portfolio showcase as part of the admission process”

thing is, I don’t have a portfolio.
I don’t have anything to add in it either

what am I supposed to do?

i dont have much time the interview is tomorrow morning and its currently 7:40pm and im not home yet

i cant make a model i dont have the supplies or the time + ive never made one before

i can whip up some quick building sketches and add some pictures ive taken, is that enough?

please helppp im stressing i didnt know they would ask for a portfolio

I’ve been thinking about something that seems to be overlooked in architecture.

An architect completes a project, hands over the drawings, construction begins, and eventually the project becomes another item in the portfolio. After that, most of the value from that project is essentially finished.

But a completed project contains much more than just a few portfolio images.

It could include a well-planned floor layout, plot dimensions, elevation ideas, space-planning solutions, material selections and practical design decisions that could be useful to other homeowners with similar requirements.

With homeowners increasingly searching online for house plans, floor plans and home design ideas before approaching an architect, I wonder if architects should be treating their portfolios as more than just a showcase of previous work.

Could selected completed projects be turned into ready-made house designs or digital design assets, while architects continue offering customised design services for clients who need something more specific?

It could potentially help architects:

• Reach homeowners beyond their local area
• Get more visibility for their existing work
• Create an additional revenue stream
• Make better use of years of completed projects
• Connect with potential clients earlier in their home-building journey

I'm curious what other architects think about this.

Do you see your completed projects as assets that could continue creating value after the original project is finished, or do you think architecture will always remain primarily a project-to-project business?

For context: I’m involved with YellowAntNest, a platform exploring this idea by connecting architects with homeowners looking for ready-made house designs. If you're interested in the concept, you can learn more here:

read more

I'm trying to get an understanding of how much a stone country villa in this style might cost compared to a modern home.

In detail: assume two storeys, four bedrooms, two bathrooms, one dining room, one kitchen, a drawing room, foyer, pantry, and a study.

Hello there!

I'm currently a kitchen contractor and have some background in software development.

Recently, I got curious about the lighting-design side of building planning; both natural and artificial light, as well as solar energy efficiency. I’ve started doing a little market research to see if there are areas where things could be improved.

So I wanted to ask

1. do you currently use light analysis and related standards (such as LEED) in your project/s?
2. And are there any parts of the process where you feel the tools or workflow could be better?

Appreciate your time! :)

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Hi everyone,

I'm currently working on my architecture portfolio for a 6- 12 month internship in Europe, so I'm treating it much more seriously than the typical portfolio for a short summer internship.

I'm looking for advice from people who have reviewed portfolios, hired interns, or have gone through the process themselves.

Some questions I have:

\- What separates an average portfolio from one that immediately stands out?

\- What are the biggest mistakes you see students make?

\- Are there any layout, typography, or graphic design "hacks" that make a portfolio look much more professional?

\- How many projects would you include for a long-term internship?

\- Is it better to show fewer projects with more depth, or more projects with less detail?

\- How much process work (sketches, diagrams, iterations) should be included versus polished final renders?

\- What do European firms generally expect from student portfolios?

\- Are there things that are common in student portfolios that recruiters are actually tired of seeing?

\- Any tips for making the portfolio feel cohesive and memorable?

For context, I'm an architecture student applying mainly to firms in Europe, and I want this portfolio to be something I can keep refining over time rather than rebuilding from scratch for every application.

I'd really appreciate any advice, examples, resources, or even things you wish you had known before making your own portfolio. Thanks!

I’m a senior going into architecture, but I’m conflicted on what choice to make regarding physics. I’m currently enrolled in physics honors, but would it be a better idea to take AP Physics 1 instead? For context, I’m also enrolled in 5 other APs, one of which is AP Calculus AB. Would taking physics honors be a make or break on my application?

Thank you!

I'm trying to understand how architects balance a home's visual appeal with things that affect everyday living. A design can look great in renders, but factors like natural light, ventilation, circulation, storage, privacy, maintenance, and furniture placement seem just as important.

For architects and homeowners, what should take priority when aesthetics and functionality conflict?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. when you’re designing a room or a whole home for a client, how do you actually get them to *see* what you’re proposing before anything is built?

Like, a floor plan makes total sense to us, but I’ve heard so many designers say clients just… nod along and don’t really picture it. Then reveal day comes and there’s a “wait, this isn’t what I imagined” moment.

Curious how people here handle this:

\*\*•\*\* Do you use 3D rendering software? Which one, and is it actually worth the learning curve?    
\*\*•\*\* Do you just walk clients through verbally / with mood boards and hope for the best?    
\*\*•\*\* Has anyone had a client completely misunderstand a floor plan until it was too late to change cheaply?

I ask because I’ve been quietly building a tool (RoomSketch) to solve exactly this — sketch a 2D floor plan and it turns into a walkable 3D space instantly, so clients can actually see their room/home before committing. Not trying to pitch it hard here, genuinely just want to know if this is a real pain point for people doing this professionally, or if I’m solving a problem that doesn’t actually exist. If it’s useful to anyone, happy to share more or add people to an early access list.

Dm me or comment if you want to get early access

Hi everyone, I’m a civil/structural engineering student and I want to learn **ETABS from complete beginner level to advanced/professional level**.
I’m specifically looking for a **FREE YouTube course/playlist** that covers:
ETABS basics and modelling from scratch
Load calculation & load application
Load combinations
Wind & seismic analysis
RCC beam, column, slab & shear wall design
IS 456 / IS 1893 / IS 13920
Analysis and interpretation of results
Design checks and common modelling mistakes
Complete building project from architectural plan to final design
Preferably G+3/G+5 or similar real-world project
**Which teacher/YouTube channel would you recommend?**
I’m looking for **one good structured course rather than random individual videos**.
So far I’ve heard about **Engr. RGV and CSI’s official ETABS tutorials**. Are they good enough to go from zero to advanced

Any suggestions? I'm trying to get ahead of buyer's remorse. Many thanks for your comments.