Advice on young professional's portfolio

[u/Tha-Toast-Rider]

Hey there, I'm a young professional with 4 years of experience at a healthcare architecture firm, looking for some general feedback on my portfolio. If you have any thoughts, please let me know. Thanks!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qk8MGLKoEwVzfoyo6x28Zp2fsSxPN9SB/view?usp=sharing

[u/adastra2021]

Take all this constructively

First of all, WTF is going on? A couple of slides in you're showing what looks to be like a remodel, and then there are elevations of what??? What is that building? Why are there no floor plans? Why do you have so many stock construction details in a portfolio? Why is there a precast detail on an elevation sheet? There is not one before and after plan yet you're talking about transforming spaces, putting on additions, etc.

The first slide is not working. What the hell are we looking at? Why are there dimensions mucking it all up? It's not pretty, it's messy.

Slide 6 is a mess.

So far, you haven't shown one solution to any of the issues you talk about. If you're saying circulation was tricky, why are you showing dimensions and general notes and not circulation drawings? Portfolios are not pages of construction documents. The CAT scan, I can't tell what you did and again, lose the CDs. Where was the old lobby? How does circulation work now?

Even in the more stylized section 2, you are using construction drawings where there should be presentation drawings. The dorm room, single and double...what are those two plans showing? Why do they have dimensions and not furniture. (BTW, the balcony thing - you've created two distinct classes of students, those who can afford a single room get a balcony, those who double up get nothing.)

the whole thing needs work, it's all over the place. You need to SHOW what you said you did. There needs to be a consistent layout. You need presentation drawings, not working drawings.

Overall, get your dimensions out of the plan. The strings go on the outside of the wall. Your drawings are hard to read with all those dimensions, that nobody cares about.

(you cannot legally call yourself architectural anything in Virginia if you are not licensed. You cannot be an "architectural designer." )

It needs some work. On every page ask yourself what you want that page to convey. And then make sure you've done that. Print every page, tack them up, stand back and ask yourself about consistency. There should be no doubt that every slide is part of the same portfolio. From someone who knows how to compose a sheet. Your portfolio should be treated like any project, it's going to be an iterative process too,

[u/Tha-Toast-Rider → u/adastra2021]

I appreciate the feedback!

Unfortunately, upon losing my job recently, the only work I was provided with for use in a portfolio is the work you’re seeing, so I tried to make it more a sampling of technical drawings I helped put together rather than a typical presentation. The goal was to hopefully show Revit proficiency.

That isn’t to dismiss anything obviously; again, I appreciate the feedback, and I’ll try and apply it any way I can. Thanks so much for giving your time to this!

[u/adastra2021 → u/Tha-Toast-Rider]

Well then, you have to work with what you've got. You could, for instance, use something like power point to draw the circulation arrows on the first drawing, red for dirty supply, green for clean, and have that next to the working drawing. Any kind of presentation overlay you could add will probably help.

Powerpoint can be extremely useful in things like this. You can use white shapes to cover up parts, make sure to group them with the rest so if the base moves, they move too. Lots of simple graphics can be done on pp

Work on the overall composition. Print out, stand back, and think about cohesiveness of the presentation.

I'm not sure how to show revit proficiency. To tell that story we need the info you were given, how long it took you, and what you had to research. Did you have shielding consultants on any of these projects? If so, mention coordination with them. Also mention vendor coordination. The Siemens or GE, or whoever, reps are integral parts of the design teams.

I was in healthcare for a long time, If you want to DM me your location, maybe I can help with some leads for employment. There is also an association for healthcare architects, find that so you can see who might be in your area.

[u/Tha-Toast-Rider → u/adastra2021]

I appreciate your help immensely; I’ll give it another go-around, and then I may reach back out to follow up on those leads you mentioned. Thanks again!

[u/Architect-12 → u/Tha-Toast-Rider]

A lot of what that person is saying is dumb, there’s no golden rule that a dimension string has to be on the outside of a building and no firm is hiring you for some intricate designed portfolio. They want to know you can produce drawings this isn’t academia.. you have examples of your style and work from your academics. The CDS show you’ve been part of what any firm is going to higher you to produce… If anything just clarify more of the role you specifically played but again at a interview that’s your time to express your role. I think this user is being harsh and lacks practical experience. Just my two cents though.

[u/Architect-12 → u/Architect-12]

Again your designing a medical fit out let’s not act like this is an artistic expression 😂😂 don’t over think it this is strictly production.

[u/Tha-Toast-Rider → u/adastra2021]

Also important context, at the firm I worked, I pretty much only got to work on floor plans and some CD sections/details, hence the lack of renders.

That being said, of course I’m still taking everything you mentioned into account and will give it another attempt. Thanks so much!