How to Build an Architecture Portfolio Before College

You can begin an Architecture portfolio before college with places, materials and questions from everyday life. KENCID’s published Architecture entry page does not list a portfolio as a requirement, so use these exercises to practise rather than treating them as an application rule.

Make four useful pages

1. Observe a place: sketch a room, courtyard or street corner and note light, shade and movement.
2. Measure and draw: make a simple plan of a room and label the dimensions you measured.
3. Test a small change: use paper or cardboard to model a better entrance, shaded seat or storage arrangement.
4. Revise: show an early idea, feedback from a user and what you changed.

Explain your decisions

For each page, add a short caption: what was the brief, what did you notice, what choice did you make and what would you test next? Label your own work and date it. Do not present a learning sketch as a construction drawing.

Keep it simple

Use clear photographs or scans, readable labels and a consistent page order. You do not need expensive materials or software to show how you think. Read our portfolio and admission guide for the distinction between practice work and formal entry requirements.