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Architecture personal statements

On this page you'll find a collection of real personal statements written by students applying to study architecture and related courses at university.

These personal statements are written by real students - don't expect them all to be perfect! But by reading through a few of these samples, you'll be able to get some ideas and inspiration for your own personal statement.

Architecture personal statement examples

More help with your personal statement.

You can find personal statement examples for other courses by using this subject list, or by returning to our personal statements by subject page.

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Architecture Personal Statement Guide

Your application to university is one of the most important you’ll make; it’s not an easy process as it requires a lot from you. The personal statement is one step in that process, but it’s also one of the more challenging ones because of what it demands.

A good personal statement will be introspective and analytical in the right places, but also informative and hopefully enjoyable to read. Its purpose is simple: to tell someone who doesn't know you why you’d be a good fit for a degree course in a subject you’re passionate about.

That said, writing a personal statement is far from simple. Not only are you constrained by space limitations, so will have to exclude much of what you’d like to say, but you also have to satisfy several criteria in very few words to make it an effective testimonial to you and your skills .

Don’t worry, though, everyone’s in the same boat and this guide is here to help you face the writing of it step-by-step, including:

Why are Personal Statements Important?
What Should I Include in an Architecture Personal Statement?
What Should I Avoid in an Architecture Personal Statement ?
Advice on How to Start an Architecture Personal Statement
Advice on How to Finish an Architecture Personal Statement

What Should I Avoid in an Architecture Personal Statement ?

While it’s important to show a knowledge of architecture and an active engagement with it, it’s not beneficial simply to list your favourite architects, buildings, or places you’ve visited on holiday without further analysis , as admissions tutors simply won’t be interested.

Instead, you should discuss particular architects or buildings as part of a broader point you’re making, or to demonstrate a particular interest or inspiration in your architecture journey so far. This goes for all resources, including books, films, podcasts, exhibitions, artists; you should never name-drop something or someone in isolation, but rather discuss it analytically.

You should avoid familiar and informal language , but also avoid pretentious and affected turns of phrase and expressions . Equally, don’t include lots of quotations or rely on clichéd lines about ‘always appreciating architraves for as long as I can remember’ as no one will believe you. Any extra-curricular activities or interests should be related back to your proposal to study architecture , so mentioning your Grade 8 flute award is unlikely to add any value.

Advice on How to Start an Architecture Personal Statement

Beginning any piece of writing can be a struggle, and personal statements are no exception. There are lots of ways to open your personal statement, so here are a few options that students have gone with in the past.

You could open the personal statement by reflecting on the beginning of your interest in architecture , i.e. where did it all start? Remembering to avoid clichéd openings, grab the reader’s attention by letting them know what first grabbed your attention. Was it a church? Your school? The Pantheon? Whatever it was, communicate how your personal relationship with architecture began and how it burgeoned into a passion.

Alternatively, you could begin by jumping straight into an academic discussion around a particular architect, building, or exhibition that has inspired you. You don't need to have personal connections to the work other than your academic interest, but make sure that you have researched the work or architect in question and have something analytical or interesting to say about it (rather than just stating facts about it). This could be a useful jumping off point for the rest of your personal statement.

However you open your statement, be direct and use uncomplicated language whilst making it as memorable and enticing as possible. The first impression is all important, and you want to encourage the reader to continue further into the statement.

Advice on How to Finish an Architecture Personal Statement

As with an essay, the end of your statement should draw together what you’ve discussed up until that point . In statement terms, this should cover your suitability to undertake a degree in architecture and how enthused by the prospect of this you are. You’ve also hopefully relied on substantial examples to demonstrate your passion, so writing the statement’s conclusion shouldn’t be too difficult.

Remember not to repeat yourself ; the idea is to emphasise what you’ve said already, rather than to say it again verbatim. These will be your departing words to the reader so, as with the introduction, you want to be remembered and leave a positive impression that leads to the next stage, be that an interview or an offer.

What are some Tips for Writing a Strong Architecture Personal Statement?
How Long Should my Architecture Personal Statement Be?
What Kind of Extracurricular Activities Should I Include in my Architecture Personal Statement?
How Can I Tailor my Architecture Personal Statement to the Oxford/Cambridge Course?

Architecture degrees are a blend of theory and practice, so it’s advisable that you express an interest in both aspects of the discipline. As with all else you mention, it’s important to use examples from your research to support your points, so don’t just assert your interest – prove it! You should also look at modules that are common to all the universities you’re applying to; this way you can narrow down what appeals to you and show that you’ve looked into the degrees themselves.

Think hard about why you’re interested in architecture as a subject in general and in studying it at university in particular. This isn’t easy, as likes and dislikes are always difficult to scrutinise. That said, admissions tutors will want to see a good level of consideration from you as they won’t want to admit anyone who has applied on a whim or because they couldn’t think of anything else to do.

The length of your architecture personal statement, like all personal statements, is limited by UCAS. They’ve set a restriction of 4000 characters (including spaces), or alternatively 47 lines of the UCAS form; the relevant limit is the one you reach first. For this reason, it’s imperative you plan the statement’s structure and content as you don’t want to waste valuable words.

You’re lucky in that architecture is a subject that we’re all involved with to some extent. Buildings and structures are part of our everyday lives, and we can’t escape them. When it comes to extra-curricular activities, you can draw on anything you deem to be a worthwhile engagement with the built environment, or aesthetic history, or material culture; this includes reading around the subject, of course. As long as you can relate the activity to your interest in architecture, and talk about the benefit derived from it, then it will be relevant.

While you shouldn’t tailor your personal statement to any one university if you’re applying to more than one, it is possible to gauge the specialisms of certain universities and to emphasise your attraction to those, provided this doesn’t by definition rule out any other university in your application. Oxford and Cambridge value academic independence and freedom of thought, so try to be original in your views and be able to support them with evidence from your wider reading and research.

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PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE Architecture Personal Statement

Submitted by Bethany

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Architecture Personal Statement

The opportunity to leave a lasting impact is a privilege, and architects are gifted with this in every building they design. This is why I want to study architecture: you have the ability to change the course of someone’s life, purely with what you envisage. An article by Michael Bond discussed this. ‘The hidden ways that architecture affects how you feel’, describes how the design, space and presentation of a building can all have great effects on a persons mood and thoughts, looking at the Pruitt-Igoe apartment blocks as an example. Their demise was blamed on the architecture: the modernist, high rise, blank concrete blocks discouraged a sense of community and the large communal spaces quickly turned into the centre for gang crime. I was intrigued; I found it extraordinary the impact a person’s setting can have on their neurology, as often the architecture of our local environment is overlooked and taken for granted in every day life.

A visit to Barcelona when I was younger leading me to discover Gaudi's work is probably what first inspired me to study architecture: the contrast between the order and rigour that can be seen from a birds-eye view compared to the intense detail that can be seen up close. I am interested in the designing of the Sagrada Familia and how you can see the different time periods and design influences as you walk around the cathedral. Structures like this can be so iconic and meaningful and can stick in the mind of anyone for a lifetime. Art AS level taught me to look at structure and form, specifically in the statues of Matisse, where I found similarities in my sculptural style of life drawing and his ‘Back Series’. It also really helped me to develop my own style meaning I explored lots of different avenues within the media I used and found I really enjoyed the sculptural side, creating many clay pieces as part of my project.

Architecture is about solving problems: whether they be design, space, community or cultural, which is why I feel physics and maths have definitely helped prepare me for studying architecture as they are both centred around problem-solving. The move from GCSE to A-level has definitely been demanding for me but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the challenge these subjects have posed. For my A2 project in Product Design, I am focusing on inclusive design and I am hoping that my final product will be a coping mechanism to help children with learning disabilities cope with stressful situations. To do this, I am working with my sixth form’s SEN department and I have had to do a lot of research into inclusive design involving working with and interviewing people from charities that support learning disabilities. I am a form prefect for a Year 11 form for whom I mentor and provide peer support to. From this, I have gained great listening and intuitive skills as well as managing a position of responsibility and bridging the link between student and teacher.

I have completed work experience with three different companies. The placements were really provocative as they gave me three almost contrasting environments to work in with completely different types of people. I worked on Sketch-Up to complete a brief on a personal design project, giving me a good grounding in the software. I had to create a 3D plan of the Birmingham office for one of the company’s future use, using a mixture of both CAD and Sketch-Up. I also had an opportunity to practise my sketching and technical drawing and find out about the historical design and architecture of the areas I was working in. I worked with the third company most recently and I thought my time here was very constructive, as I was involved in meetings with structural engineers who were working with the company as well as giving my opinions on some of the projects the company was bidding for. I found all the placements insightful and beneficial, and they definitely improved my understanding and technical ability when it came to sketching and designing.