Questions and answers
What is your concept, in one sentence?
State an idea, not a shape. For example: “A school organised as a street, so that learning spills out of classrooms.” Then point to where it is visible in plan and section.
How does the building respond to the site?
Talk about access, orientation, slope, views, existing trees and neighbours. Show the site analysis diagram that led to the building's position.
How have you responded to climate?
Mention orientation, shading, cross ventilation, courtyards, thermal mass or insulation, and point to a section with sun angles.
Explain your zoning and circulation.
Walk the juror through public, semi-public and private zones and the routes of each user group, including service and emergency movement.
What is the structural system and grid?
Give the system (RCC frame, steel, load-bearing, long-span truss), the grid dimensions and where the grid changes. Show it in at least one drawing.
Where are your service cores, shafts and plant rooms?
Locate toilets, shafts, the electrical room, water tanks, HVAC plant and fire staircases on plan.
Does it comply with the bye-laws?
Know your setbacks, permissible and consumed FSI or FAR, ground coverage, height, parking numbers and fire tender access.
How do people escape in a fire?
Show staircase count and travel distance, refuge areas if applicable and the fire tender path.
Is the building accessible?
Point to ramps with gradients, lifts, accessible toilets and tactile routes.
Why this material?
Link the choice to climate, cost, local availability, maintenance and the concept.
What did you learn from your case studies?
Give two inferences you applied and one thing you deliberately did differently.
How did you arrive at your area programme?
Cite standards and case study comparisons, and state your total built-up area.
What is sustainable about your design?
Be specific: daylight autonomy, rainwater harvesting volume, solar generation, passive cooling. Avoid listing features you did not design.
How was this form generated?
For parametric work, explain the Grasshopper logic: the inputs, the rule and what changes when a parameter changes. Be ready to show it live.
Why does this section look like this?
Explain floor heights, level changes, light and ventilation. Jurors read the section to see whether you understand the building.
If you had two more weeks, what would you improve?
Name one real weakness and how you would resolve it. Honest self-critique scores well.
How to present in five minutes
- Site and brief: 30 seconds
- Concept with one diagram: 45 seconds
- Site plan and zoning: 1 minute
- Plans and one key section: 2 minutes
- Structure, services and climate: 45 seconds
- Close on the view or model that best captures the idea
Common reasons marks are lost
- Concept stated in words but invisible in drawings
- Sections that are just cut elevations with no information
- No north point, scale or dimensions
- Sheets crowded with renders and too few drawings
- Not knowing the area statement or bye-laws
See also: how to compose presentation sheets.
FAQs
How long is a B.Arch thesis jury?
Usually 20 to 40 minutes per student: about 8 to 10 minutes of presentation followed by questions from internal and external jurors.
How do I handle a harsh juror?
Listen fully, answer the design question behind the criticism, and do not argue about taste. Note the comment and say how you would address it.
Does Project Buddyy conduct mock juries?
Yes. We run a one-on-one mock jury on your own scheme, covering concept, planning, structure, services and bye-laws.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-11. Always follow the format your own department gives you.