How to prepare a digital portfolio for Architecture
Our course entry requirements normally require a grade B or higher in Art at GCSE and/or A Level (or equivalent). If you do not satisfy this requirement, we may ask you to submit a portfolio of 15-20 slides/images of your best work. The work should comprise selected pieces that show us your current range of artistic skills in a variety of media. We accept and encourage work that is not necessarily all finished to a final high quality but does illustrate an interest and willingness to experiment and gain confidence.
Your digital portfolio is a way of presenting to us the collection of visual imagery and projects that you have made/created. The most successful portfolios show us your range of skills from your processes of initial sketches and ideas, to research, experimentation, use of materials and techniques to your developed creative outcomes. We are very keen to see these sorts of approaches to show us your commitment to generate great work.
What should I include in the digital portfolio?
We suggest your digital portfolio should comprise of a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 20 images/slides of work. Select work that you are passionate and confident about and that demonstrates how you apply practical skills to explore different media and processes. We are interested in how you develop your ideas, concepts and your willingness to experiment and learn outside of your comfort zone. Let the work speak for itself and to be proud of your creative practice.
Examples of portfolio work may include:
- Freehand pencil, charcoal or pen sketches of objects or places, drawn from direct observation, but not copied from photographs.
- Freehand colour drawings/painting or sketches using watercolour, pastels or acrylics, drawn from direct observation or imagination, but not copied from photographs.
- Creative and innovative thinking processes.
- Appreciation of space and form.
- Diversity in use of different communication skills.
- Technical skills and diverse graphic skills.
- Analogue skills - hand drawing, collage, painting, graphic design, 3D models and pages from sketchbooks, life drawing.
- Observational drawing.
- Perspective drawing.
- Prototypes and artefacts in a range of media.
- Understanding and interest in scale, form, structure and composition.
- Product design, printmaking.
- Sketches of buildings and spaces in your own locality including landscape studies.
To create a strong portfolio, we suggest:
- Do not overcomplicate your portfolio; let the work speak for itself without "decoration" through overuse of text/titles, distracting graphic design, etc.
- Your portfolio should solely contain your best work, so be careful what you choose.
- Make sure that any reproductions -photographs of models or scans of large-scale paintings, for example-are extremely good quality. You will do yourself a disservice if the quality of reproduction of good work is poor.
- We are interested in your artistic process as well as final products, so when possible, we suggest including related sketches and preparatory work of your pieces.
What format should the digital portfolio be in?
We suggest that your digital portfolio be sent as accessible digital files such as scans or images of your work and sketchbooks. If you wish to include images from multiple angles or detailed areas of the same piece, please collate these within one image in your digital portfolio. Your digital portfolio should be presented as an A3 PDF. Individual image size should be no greater than 200kb (ideally 1024x768 pixels) with a maximum resolution size of 72 dpi.
Please do take care to ensure that the overall layout and image quality of your portfolio can easily be opened and clearly viewed on screen.
Submit your Portfolio
We are looking forward to seeing your portfolio(s) and hopefully welcoming you to join the Belfast School of Architecture in 2026.
Please complete the Portfolio Submission Form below and upload your portfolio.
You should do this only after:
- you have submitted your UCAS application; and
- you have received an email from us requesting your portfolio.
Portfolio Submission Form
Please complete the Portfolio Submission Form below and upload your completed portfolio. The portfolio submission deadline for 2026 entry is 12.00pm on Wednesday 28 January 2026.
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