Architecture Portfolio Requirements
A portfolio of two and/or three-dimensional work demonstrating evidence of an applicant’s creative potential is required for all applicants for admission to the B.S. in Architecture program.
Overview
The intent of the portfolio requirement is twofold — to offer applicants some idea of activities you will be engaged in as an architecture student, and to allow the school to begin to estimate your emerging potential at this earliest stage of your architectural education. Consistent with the mission of our program, 51 is interested in and celebrates the variety of expression that applicants demonstrate. Applicants come from a variety of backgrounds, and we appreciate this variety as a basis for beginning the study architecture at the college level.
Portfolio Requirements
The portfolio should consist of 8-12 examples of the applicant’s work, each piece clearly labeled. Your work should be submitted through .
You may also submit your work in a simple 8-1/2” x 11” binder and mail to:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
51
One Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI 02809
The portfolio should contain reproductions of two and three-dimensional work recently executed in high school art coursework, independent works by the applicant, or summer programs in Art or Architecture that you may have completed. High-quality black & white copies and color copies as relevant to the work are acceptable.
Applicants may choose to submit a portfolio consisting largely of freehand drawings or that is composed of a variety of artistic works including drawing (spaces, portraits, landscapes, still life), sculpture, constructions, photography, and some computing work. Applicants should limit their submission of hand or computer drafting to a minimum—other works are preferred. Works submitted will be evaluated on their artistic merit as beginning explorations in the arts and architecture, rather than on the ability to draft or use computer software.
The portfolio becomes a permanent part of the candidate’s application and is not returned.
Alternative Portfolio Project Options
Applicants who do not have portfolio materials as described above may instead submit a Portfolio Project, inclusive as above of 8-12 examples. Suggestions below provide options that may be helpful:
- Sketch views of a chair, a bicycle, a pair of sneakers, and a still life of objects gathered on a tabletop.
- Sketch a sequence of different spaces in a building or landscape you are interested in. For this option, you may want to consider a significant building you can visit, that likely has an entry sequence, public space(s), another large or small space, and a concluding space or element.