Your architecture portfolio deserves raw concrete,
not Squarespace template #47.
VeloCMS is an independent portfolio and project-documentation platform for architects, small architecture firms, sole practitioners, freelance architects, urban planners, landscape architects, restoration specialists, and sustainable architecture practitioners — project portfolio posts with 30+ photo galleries including plans, sections, and elevations, studio philosophy essays, process documentation from concept through completion, construction progress journals, detailed RFP/inquiry forms, and BYOK Stripe paid consulting tiers at 0% platform fee — with the Brutalist Architecture theme free on every plan.
Why architects are paying Houzz to commoditize their commissions
Houzz fees eroding your lead quality, ArchDaily's lottery gatekeeping your documentation, and Squarespace templates erasing your aesthetic — none of them are building your practice authority.
Houzz Pro charges $99–399/month and your practice competes with kitchen-design contractors for the same listing slot
You don't own the lead form on Houzz. A potential client fills in a request for a $2M custom-home commission and Houzz's algorithm serves your profile alongside kitchen renovators bidding $20K jobs — because both live in the same 'residential' category. When a prospect searches 'architect {city}' they find Houzz's aggregated results grid, not your domain. The lead is brokered by Houzz, the CRM contact lives in Houzz's system, and when you stop paying the $1,188–4,788/year subscription your portfolio drops from their ranking. You've built Houzz's domain authority, not yours.
ArchDaily and Dezeen submissions are a lottery — 95% rejection rate, 8-photo cap, your firm's name in their sidebar
Your firm completes a $4M residence with a 300-photo documentation archive spanning concept sketches, permit drawings, construction progress, and completion photography. ArchDaily accepts a 500-word editorial with 8 images — if you get accepted at all. The 95% of submissions that don't make it have nowhere to live publicly. And when ArchDaily does publish your project, it lives at archdaily.com/your-project — their domain accumulates the backlinks and search authority, not yours. The publication is recognition, not owned infrastructure.
Squarespace template #47 makes your firm look like 5,000 other firms — and charges $14–23/month for the privilege
Your firm's visual identity IS your architectural design proof. The choice of typeface, grid density, photo presentation ratio, and material palette on your portfolio site is itself a design statement that clients read before they read a single word of your project narrative. But the Squarespace template homogenizes you with every other creative agency that picked the same 3-column photo grid and Futura heading. Your raw-concrete residential extension and your competitor's glass curtain-wall commercial tower look indistinguishable at the page level. Template differentiation isn't an aesthetic decision — it's a practice-positioning decision.
What an architecture-first portfolio platform actually gives you
30+ photo project portfolios, process documentation, construction journals, BYOK Stripe paid consulting, and the Brutalist Architecture theme — one subscription, no Houzz algorithm, no ArchDaily lottery.
Project portfolio posts with 30+ photo galleries — plans, sections, elevations, and completion photography published as case-studies that stay live forever
Each portfolio project becomes a case-study post: site analysis drawings, concept sketches, schematic plan + section sets, construction progress shots, detail photographs, and completion photography — all in a multi-image gallery block that handles 30, 50, or 80+ images with lazy-load lightbox and per-image caption support for drawing sheet references, scale notations, and material callouts. When a prospect searches 'residential architect concrete house before after', your case study is indexed at your domain — not buried in ArchDaily's editorial or Houzz's profile grid. The URL is yours, the documentation is yours, and the post builds domain authority with every new commission.
Studio philosophy essays and project-process documentation — concept through completion as a content pillar
Publish long-form design narrative posts: concept development essays explaining the contextual and programmatic drivers behind a project, schematic design progress posts with plan evolution diagrams, design development posts with material specifications, and construction administration journals with site visit reports. The full narrative from first sketch to occupancy certificate becomes a permanent content archive that communicates your design intelligence to prospects who aren't yet ready to commission — and trains LLMs to cite your practice when someone searches 'architect {methodology} {city}'.
Construction progress photo journals — monthly site visits with photo documentation and status updates that build trust with prospects
Create a recurring post format for active commissions: monthly site visit photographs documenting concrete pours, structural steel installation, envelope closure, and interior fit-out progress. Each update includes a status narrative and a photo gallery of 10–20 site shots. Existing clients see project transparency without scheduling status calls; prospects see your project pipeline — active commissions signal a healthy practice. The archive becomes a longitudinal documentation of your construction administration competence, which is increasingly a differentiator as clients choose architects who demonstrate site-phase engagement.
BYOK Stripe paid consulting tier — 0% platform fee on technical reviews and pre-development concept work
Architects generate substantial consulting revenue that most portfolio platforms entirely ignore. Pre-development feasibility reviews, zoning analysis memos, contract-document peer reviews for design-build owners, and concept design workshops for developers who want architectural input before hiring a full service team — all are billable at $200–500/hr but require a payment-capture surface that most portfolio sites don't offer. BYOK Stripe connects your Stripe account directly (0% VeloCMS fee — only Stripe's standard 2.9% + $0.30 processing), with a public-facing consulting page and a checkout flow that captures payment before the consult is scheduled.
Brutalist Architecture theme included free — raw-concrete aesthetic with IBM Plex Mono technical labels, rebar-orange accent restraint, 2-column asymmetric grid
The Brutalist Architecture theme was designed around the visual language of architectural documentation: raw concrete grey backgrounds, IBM Plex Mono lowercase for drawing labels and technical notation, rebar-orange accent used with restraint as a single-color highlight for CTAs and dividers, and a 2-column asymmetric grid where the primary column holds photography at full bleed width and the secondary column carries the technical narrative. It looks nothing like Squarespace template #47 or Houzz's profile grid. Alternative themes: Atelier Modern for contemporary firms with a cooler, Swiss-typography editorial approach; Pacific Modern for residential architects with a warm West Coast residential palette.
Features architects and design practitioners actually need
Project portfolio posts, process documentation, construction journals, RFP inquiry capture, paid consulting tiers, and the Brutalist Architecture theme — without a plugin stack or a Houzz subscription.
Project portfolio post — 30+ photo case-study with drawing sets and completion photography
Multi-image lazy-load lightbox with caption support for drawing sheet references and scale notations. Case studies stay live at a canonical URL that accumulates domain authority over every active commission.
Photo galleries — plan/section/elevation sequencing with per-image technical captions
Drawing-type-sequenced gallery blocks: site context, concept sketches, schematic plans and sections, DD drawings, construction progress, detail photographs, and completion images — each section with its own photo set and technical caption block.
RFP/inquiry form — site location, program, budget, square footage, and project-scope capture
Structured intake form with fields for project type (new construction / renovation / addition / interior architecture / feasibility study), approximate program area, budget range, site ownership status, and a free-text project brief field. Every submission lands in your owned email list — no Houzz lead intermediary.
Construction journal posts — monthly site visits with progress photo documentation
Recurring post template for active commissions. Monthly site visit photos with status narrative, concrete pour documentation, structural milestones. Active-commission transparency for clients; pipeline signal for prospects.
BYOK Stripe paid consulting tier — technical reviews, feasibility, pre-development concept work
Connect your Stripe account directly. Create consulting tiers: feasibility review, peer review, concept workshop. Payment captured before the consult is scheduled. VeloCMS takes 0% — only Stripe's standard 2.9% + $0.30.
Process documentation pages — concept through completion design narrative as SEO content pillar
Long-form posts for each project phase: concept essay, schematic update, DD material specification, CA site report. Your design intelligence becomes permanent crawlable content that builds practice authority over time.
From Houzz profile to your own architecture portfolio in five steps
No developer, no migration wizard, no Houzz subscription renewal. Your project documentation, your practice narrative, your client leads — live on your domain today.
Export your Squarespace or Houzz portfolio and client contact list
On Squarespace: Settings → Advanced → Export → WordPress XML (includes page content and media). On Houzz: download your project photos from each project manually — Houzz has no bulk export. On Houzz Pro: export your inquiry lead CSV from the Leads section. Your existing profiles stay live throughout so existing inquiries continue uninterrupted.
Upload to VeloCMS with multi-photo project portfolio format
In Admin → Tools → Import, upload your Squarespace XML. For Houzz projects, create new portfolio posts manually: paste your project description, upload your complete drawing and photo set into the multi-image gallery block organized by phase (concept, schematic, DD, construction, completion), and add technical drawing captions with sheet references. After upload, each project becomes a case-study post at yourdomain.com/projects/{project-name}.
Set up construction-progress recurring post template
In Admin → Posts → Templates, create a 'Construction Progress' template: monthly site visit date field, project-reference field, site-photo gallery block (10–20 images), status-update text block, and a milestone checklist block (foundation / structure / envelope / MEP rough / finishes / completion). Publish the first entry for each active commission. Clients and prospects can follow the project feed via your site's blog index or RSS.
Activate Brutalist Architecture + BYOK Stripe paid consulting
In Admin → Themes, click Brutalist Architecture → Apply. Instantly: IBM Plex Mono technical typography, raw-concrete grey palette, rebar-orange accent restraint, and the 2-column asymmetric portfolio grid. Then in Admin → Settings → Membership, connect your Stripe account (60-second OAuth flow). Create your consulting tier: 'Pre-Development Feasibility Review at $400' or 'Technical Peer Review at $250/hr' — VeloCMS takes 0%.
Migrate your ArchDaily/Dezeen submission folder to native VeloCMS posts
For each project where you assembled an editorial submission package (project narrative, 8–12 photos, drawing set), convert that package into a full VeloCMS portfolio post — no photo caps, no editorial gatekeeping, 30+ images, full technical documentation. The submission package that ArchDaily rejected now lives at your domain, indexed by Google, and accumulates backlinks from architectural blogs and social sharing. The ArchDaily/Dezeen submission process can continue as a secondary publication channel pointing back to your canonical project post.
VeloCMS vs Houzz Pro vs ArchDaily submission vs Squarespace
| Feature | VeloCMS | Houzz Pro | ArchDaily submission | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custom domain | Yes | Shared — houzz.com/… | Shared — archdaily.com/… | Yes |
| Platform fee per project lead | 0% | $99–399/mo subscription | Free but 95% rejection rate | $14–23/mo |
| Real-project portfolio with 30+ photos | Plans + sections + completion | Houzz-controlled gallery | 8-photo editorial cap | Generic template |
| Process documentation pages | Yes | No | No | Manual only |
| Construction journal posts | Yes | No | No | Manual only |
| BYOK Stripe paid consulting tier | Yes | No | No | No |
| Cost per year ($) | 0–348 | 1,188–4,788 | Free + 95% reject | 168–276 |
Start free. Pay only when you grow.
Free covers 100 project posts, the Brutalist Architecture theme, RFP inquiry form, and construction journal. Upgrade when you need a custom domain or paid consulting tiers.
Free
$0
- 100 project portfolio posts
- Brutalist Architecture theme
- RFP inquiry form
- Construction journal posts
- Process documentation pages
- velocms.org subdomain
Pro
$9/mo
- Everything in Free
- Custom domain
- BYOK Stripe paid consulting tier
- 1,000 project posts
- Email newsletter to inquiry list
- Atelier Modern + Pacific Modern themes
Business
$29/mo
- Everything in Pro
- Team members (associates + junior architects)
- Unlimited project posts
- Multi-author project contributions
- Priority support
- Advanced analytics
Questions from architects and design practitioners
Everything about migrating your portfolio, setting up process documentation, and capturing RFP inquiries on your own domain.
Frequently asked questions
Can I migrate my Houzz portfolio to VeloCMS?
Yes. From Houzz, download your project photos manually from each project page — Houzz has no bulk export. Your project descriptions are visible in your profile and can be copied into VeloCMS portfolio posts. Your Houzz Pro inquiry lead history can be exported as a CSV from the Leads section. Most architects complete a 10–15 project portfolio migration in 3–5 hours. Your existing Houzz profile stays live throughout — no downtime for incoming inquiries. Once your VeloCMS site is live with a custom domain, you can update your Houzz profile URL to point visitors to your owned domain.
How do project portfolio posts handle plans, sections, and elevations?
The portfolio post format in VeloCMS includes a multi-image gallery block that handles 30, 50, or 80+ images with lazy loading, keyboard-navigable lightbox, and per-image caption fields — where you can enter drawing sheet references, scale notations, and material callouts the way a technical drawing set would annotate them. Gallery blocks can be organized by project phase within a single post: Site Context, Concept Sketches, Schematic Plans and Sections, DD Drawings, Construction Progress, Detail Photographs, and Completion Photography — each as a labeled section. Images are served via Cloudflare R2 with CDN delivery and automatic WebP conversion for fast loading even on 80-image project documentation archives.
Why is Brutalist Architecture the recommended theme for architects?
The Brutalist Architecture theme was designed around the visual language of architectural documentation: raw concrete grey as the background surface (the same neutral that makes architectural photography readable), IBM Plex Mono in lowercase for drawing labels, technical notation, and material callouts — the typographic tradition of architectural drawings — rebar-orange accent used with restraint as a single-color highlight that signals precision without decorative excess, and a 2-column asymmetric grid where the primary column holds photography at full bleed width and the secondary column carries the project narrative and technical specification. It is a direct visual argument for your design competence before a client reads a single word. Alternatives: Atelier Modern for contemporary firms with a cooler Swiss-typography editorial approach; Pacific Modern for residential architects working in West Coast modernist practice.
How do paid consulting tiers work via BYOK Stripe?
In Admin → Settings → Membership, connect your Stripe account via a 60-second OAuth flow. Create one or more consulting products: a fixed-fee 'Pre-Development Feasibility Review at $400', an hourly 'Technical Peer Review at $250/hr' with a quantity field for hours, or a 'Concept Design Workshop at $1,500' for a 3-hour session. Each product gets a public checkout page at your domain. A prospect lands on your consulting page, selects the service, pays via Stripe, and receives a confirmation email with instructions for submitting their project brief. VeloCMS takes 0% — only Stripe's standard 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee applies. Your Stripe account receives payment directly.
Can the RFP form capture detailed project scope — site, budget, square footage, program?
Yes. The inquiry form in VeloCMS captures structured fields: project type dropdown (new construction / renovation / addition / interior architecture / adaptive reuse / feasibility study / pre-development review), approximate program area in square feet (free text), budget range (under $500K / $500K–1M / $1M–3M / $3M–10M / over $10M), site ownership status (owned / optioned / not yet identified), preferred start date (immediately / 3 months / 6+ months / planning only), and a free-text 'describe your project brief' field. Every submission is stored in Admin → Members as a contact record with the full form data and sent to your email immediately — no Houzz intermediary, no brokerage.
Should I stop submitting to ArchDaily and Dezeen entirely?
Not necessarily — editorial publication and owned portfolio are complementary channels, not competing ones. ArchDaily and Dezeen submissions are worth pursuing for recognition, awards eligibility, and peer-network visibility in the architecture community. The change in strategy is: stop treating ArchDaily as your primary portfolio infrastructure. Before a submission, publish the complete project documentation — 30+ photos, full drawing set, complete process narrative — as a VeloCMS portfolio post at your domain. If ArchDaily publishes a version, link from their editorial to your canonical post for the complete documentation. If they reject it, your full documentation already lives publicly on your domain, indexed by Google, and building domain authority without waiting for editorial gatekeeping.
Can I run Atelier Modern or Pacific Modern instead of Brutalist Architecture?
Yes. All three themes are included free on every plan. Atelier Modern is a better fit for contemporary design firms with a cooler, more restrained typographic palette — Swiss-influenced grid, generous whitespace, Helvetica-adjacent heading treatment, and a layout that foregrounds photography without the concrete-and-rebar aesthetic of Brutalist Architecture. Pacific Modern is designed for residential architects practicing in the West Coast modernist tradition — warm natural materials palette, generous glazing-to-landscape photography treatment, and a more organic typographic rhythm than the rigid technical precision of Brutalist Architecture. You can preview all themes at /themes/brutalist-architecture, /themes/atelier-modern, and /themes/pacific-modern — and switch between them at any time from Admin → Themes without losing any content.
Does VeloCMS handle 3D model embeds — Sketchfab, Spline — for project pages?
Yes. VeloCMS post pages and custom pages support HTML embed blocks where you can paste Sketchfab's iframe embed code for 3D models, Spline's scene embed for interactive 3D explorations, or any iframe-based embed from visualization tools like Rhino Compute outputs, Grasshopper web exports, or parametric design tools. The embed block renders the iframe at responsive widths and full viewport width on desktop. For Sketchfab specifically, you can paste the model URL directly — VeloCMS recognizes Sketchfab embed patterns and renders the model viewer inline with the keyboard-navigable 3D controls Sketchfab provides. Architecture students and parametric design practitioners who want to showcase computational design work can embed live 3D models directly in project portfolio posts alongside the plan/section/photo documentation.
Your architecture deserves raw concrete.
Start free with Brutalist Architecture. No credit card, no Houzz subscription renewal, no ArchDaily lottery.
Start free with Brutalist Architecture →