Portfolio

Applicants to Part One

The interview schedule takes either a morning or afternoon and consists of a tour of the school with our current students acting as guides and individual interviews. The tour gives candidates a chance to speak to our students see the department and find out about what it is like to study with us.

Applicants living in the UK

We interview all candidates that we wish to consider. Interview days take place once a week from January to March.

Applicants living outside of the UK

Candidates are not expected to attend an interview, but will be asked to submit a portfolio by e-mail.

Preparing for interview

We try to keep the interview relatively informal and relaxed. We are looking for the candidate to expand upon their interest in the subject of architecture - what books have they read on the subject, which architects have they discovered recently, which places have they visited that they found interesting, have they undertaken any work experience, and to provide evidence of their interest in the study of Architecture through their portfolio. Of course, the interview is competitive, as there are many people applying to study with us! The interview is your chance, in a short space of time, to convey your enthusiasm for the subject and also to ask any questions that you may have about the course.

The interview is held with one of our members of staff, who teaches in the early years, and the applicant, and takes around 15-20 minutes per candidate. It also offers applicants the opportunity to expand upon their interest in architecture, ask questions, discuss any work experience they may have undertaken and allows the candidate time to present their portfolio.

Preparing a Portfolio

Not all candidates have studied art as a subject at school but we do ask that everyone does produce a portfolio.

• The Portfolio should consist of what the candidate considers to be their best work and should be limited to a maximum of 15 pieces of work.
• The folio should demonstrate the candidate's ability to represent three dimensional objects or space and also demonstrate their creative thinking and engagement with the subject of architecture.
• The folio can contain work prepared from an academic course such as SQA Higher or A-level Art (or copies of work submitted for examination) but not solely. It can also include work carried out as independent study or in portfolio courses.

The work should be displayed in a paper based portfolio. It can include work such as life drawing, landscapes, still life, expressive work, photography, sketchbooks, freehand drawing, painting, modelling, any design work, sculpture, ceramics, work undertaken at summer schools, portfolio courses etc. (Actual models/artefacts / laptops should not be brought to interview.)

Two Dimensional work such as plans or sections, if included, should be kept to a minimum within the folio. We do not expect candidates for Year 1 to be experts in CAD or digital graphics software, nor to be experts in drawing plans or sections. We teach our students how to do this from the start of Year One.

Following the interview with portfolio we endeavour to make a decision available via UCAS within two to three weeks.

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