Academic and Studio Projects
For students with limited firm experience, this section is critical. It demonstrates the depth of your design thinking and your ability to tackle real design problems at scale. Include 2-4 of your strongest studio or capstone projects, emphasizing scope, site context, and your specific role.
What to Include for Each Project
- Project name (in quotes)
- Studio or course name (and school if applicable)
- Semester and year
- 1-2 bullet points describing scope, program, site conditions, and your role
- Notable achievements: thesis/capstone status, exhibition selection, client engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration
What Makes a Project Stand Out on Your Resume
| Strong Project Qualities | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Real-world site and client | Shows you can navigate constraints and stakeholder expectations |
| Significant scale (25,000+ SF, multi-acre) | Demonstrates you can manage complexity |
| Specific design problem (brownfield remediation, transit-oriented development, ecosystem restoration) | Shows you understand discipline-specific challenges |
| Interdisciplinary collaboration | Signals you can work with engineers, planners, and community members |
| Advanced through detailed design phase | Proves you can execute, not just conceptualize |
Example Format (Architecture)
• Designed a phased conversion of a 150,000 SF historic textile mill in East Baltimore into 80 units of affordable housing, ground-floor retail, and shared maker space. Conducted historical research, building envelope analysis, and code compliance studies
• Developed schematic design through detailed construction documents, resolving structural constraints (20-foot timber trusses) with contemporary MEP systems. Project selected for Morgan State School of Architecture + Planning year-end exhibition
Example Format (Landscape Architecture)
• Designed a 2-mile linear park and habitat corridor on a contaminated brownfield site. Conducted soil and water quality testing, created site inventory maps using GIS, and specified 45+ native plant species for stormwater management and pollinator habitat
• Partnered with the Fairfield Community Development Corporation and City Parks Department. Final design adopted for implementation; project received Maryland Association of Landscape Architects student recognition award
Curate, Don't List
Do not list every project from every studio. Choose 2-4 that best represent your strengths and are most relevant to the positions you are applying for. If you are applying to sustainability-focused firms, lead with your ecology project. If you are applying to a firm known for renovation work, feature your adaptive reuse project. Tailor this section to the application. (See also Common Mistakes, Section 12.)
PRO TIP: If your project received external recognition (exhibition, award, publication, client selection, community adoption), mention it. This adds credibility and shows that your work resonates beyond the classroom.
For Students with Strong Firm Experience
If your Professional Experience section is strong (2+ internships or co-ops), you may include only 1-2 projects here or move this section lower on the page. The goal is to emphasize your strongest credentials. If you have extensive firm work, that becomes your primary evidence of capability.