Garrett Wyckoff
Portfolio Standards
The portfolio is a means of presenting your best work to be analyzed by a review committee. It must be representative of the person submitting it. It stands on its own merit.
Size and Construction
All portfolio material must be bound and must not be more than 1" (2.5cm) thick, or more than 9"x12" ( 23cm x 30cm) in overall size. The applicant's name must be clearly visible on the binding. The use of slides is discouraged. Portfolios not meeting these guidelines will not be reviewed.
An important consideration is the durability of the portfolio. Your work will be moved to different places, filed, carried about, stacked, and opened and closed numerous times. Consider making a portfolio that will hold up after all this wear and tear and still be usable at future dates.
Content
The portfolio should demonstrate the breadth and depth of your skills, and may include architectural work done in academic settings or in practice, or any work in the visual arts in two- or three-dimensional execution. For admission to the 2-year M.Arch, the portfolio must document competence in the comprehensive design* of buildings. Those applicants who do not meet the level of proficiency in comprehensive design required for admission to the 2-year M.Arch will be considered for admission to the 3.5-year M.Arch with advanced standing.
3.5-year M.Arch applicants may have little or no architectural or visual art material. In this case, the portfolio should include evidence of excellence in other areas. You should submit work which represents only your best creative ability and interests. Papers, research, or other materials (preferably dealing with the built environment) are also invited as evidence of scholarly, academic, or creative work.
All work must carry the name of applicant, date of work, and an indication of whether the work was an academic, professional, or personal project. If the item is part of a group effort, the specific role of the applicant should be included.
Comprehensive design, as defined by the NAAB, is the “Ability to produce a comprehensive architectural project that demonstrates each student’s capacity to make design decisions across scales while integrating the following student performance criteria: Design Thinking Skills; Technical Documentation; Investigative Skills; Ordering Systems; Historical Traditions; Accessibility; Sustainability; Site Design; Life Safety; Environmental Systems; and, Structural Systems.”
* Definition obtained from the NAAB 2009 Conditions for Accreditation.
Returning Portfolios
Upon completion of the admissions process, the portfolio or other material(s) may be claimed in person or returned to you by mail. Applicants who wish material to be returned by mail should enclose a stamped, self-addressed, appropriately sized mailing container. Materials and portfolios not picked up or returned by mail will be held in the department office for six months only. Please do not send checks or money orders to cover postage. Portfolios will not be mailed to an address outside North America.
