Architecture Portfolios

Once you have applied for one of our undergraduate Architecture* courses and have been shortlisted, you will be asked to provide a digital portfolio. Your portfolio is an opportunity to show us who you are, your creative ability and your potential. Once submitted and assessed by an academic, your offer will be updated accordingly and the outcome communicated to you by Admissions.

Hints and Tips in what we expect of your Portfolio 

• Your portfolio should be well organised and presented. The portfolio should aim to demonstrate your strongest work, indicating your abilities rather than quantity of work. 
• Include freehand sketches of buildings and street scenes in your local area. 

• Include photographic studies of buildings and street scenes in your local area (these must be different to the free hand sketches. These should be accompanied by handwritten text explaining why each scene was chosen. 

For example: Perhaps the most picturesque of my home town streets and composes buildings dating from the 15^th to 19^th centuries. It is this mix that makes the street so attractive. Unusually the further up the street you go the younger the buildings get. It’s beautiful!

• Include any additional graphical studies (drawings, paintings, posters etc.) undertaken by you in your previous work or study. 
• In addition, you should provide a handwritten critique of a building of architectural merit within your local area. This critique should contain within the text two sketches of the building in context and a further sketch showing a prominent architectural feature of the building. 

For example: This is a medieval “Cruck framed” threshing barn located in the building museum of Avoncroft near Bromsgrove. The original structure was dismantled at its original location near Leominster, transported and rebuilt at the museum. There are some new components, but these have been carefully crafted from like materials and inserted into the fabric with great care. The building has a thatched roof and the panels between the frames are made from split timber sheets woven around timber poles set into the frame. All connections in the main frames are tenon and dowel joints.

• You can put your portfolio together as a PowerPoint file or a pdf document so this can be sent in advance and can be shared on the screen of the portfolio interview.
• You should not be deterred by any lack of experience in the undertaking of the various tasks of the portfolio. The team recognise that not all applicants may have an art background. However, we would acknowledge the enthusiasm and effort applied in the creation of your portfolio. These skills will be developed in your studies if you are successful in your application. 

All portfolios must be submitted to FSEapplicant@wlv.ac.uk. You can send it via suggested file-sharing platforms such as WeTransfer, Google Drive, Dropbox etc.

*Architecture courses include BSc (Hons) Architecture and BSc (Hons) Architectural Design Technology.

If you require further advice, contact the Conversion Team via FSEapplicant@wlv.ac.uk, or the University's Gateway department.