The drafting of the portfolio is, together with the motivation letter , among the most delicate projects to be developed for an architect, because it contains in a few pages his own history, his ambitions and his skills.

This challenge, we met the architect and engineer Carlo Ratti who shared with us some valuable advice deriving from his experience as founder of the CRA studio (Turin and New York) and director of Senseable City Lab at MIT in Boston .

From his answers we have prepared a small guide to the development of the portfolio that summarizes what must be communicated and how to best structure it to be appreciated by the examiner.

For the more curious, Carlo Ratti briefly told how the selection process in the CRA studio works and what role the portfolio plays.

Carlo Ratti: “The Portfolio is like a good novel”
“There is no perfect portfolio formula”, says Carlo Ratti, “a lot also depends on the role you are applying for and the experience gained. In general, a good portfolio must be considered as a good novel, whose desire to read it grows as you scroll through the pages … In short, the story of your experiences and professional skills.

And if it is true that “a book is not judged by its cover”, it is important that the portfolio is aesthetically well presented “.