Advance your career with a strong visual portfolio

SketchUp ambassador, architect and head of Studio Baroli, Mariana Baroli, shares her professional journey, highlighting how a portfolio of SketchUp projects opened doors in her career.

Architect Mari Baroli in her office. Image courtesy of Studio Baroli.

Mari started using SketchUp while studying architecture and urbanism at Universidade Estácio de Sá. The university coordinator invited her and her colleague Suzana Capistrano to represent them in the São Paulo Biennial contest. Guided by professors Marco Milazzo and Lara Sanchez, the kiosk design they created in SketchUp was selected for the competition’s finalist exhibition. From there, Mari began a journey with SketchUp’s 3D modeling and visualization software.

"SketchUp is the bridge between a person and the professional success they aspire to achieve. It was that for me." 

Mari Baroli

Project and exhibition at the São Paulo Biennial contest. Images courtesy of architect Mari Baroli.

Gaining professional momentum 

The contest pushed Mari to start building her portfolio with SketchUp — she realized that maintaining a high-quality portfolio is the key to opening doors in the job market. Mari secured internships at renowned offices such as André Piva Arquitetura and Miguel Pinto Arquitetura in Rio de Janeiro. Later, she became the lead architect responsible for creating digital models and visual representations at the FEU Arquitetura office. 

"Renders and 3D models bring clients to the architecture firms. Well-made presentations bring visibility, attract buyers and help sign contracts. This is fundamental work within architecture offices."

Mari Baroli

Visualization of a project with renders, 3D and 2D images. Images courtesy of Studio Baroli. 

In addition to her work in architecture firms, Mari participated in several contests. In collaboration with architects Igor de Vetyemy, Rogerio Chieza, and Felipe Calazans, Mari Baroli competed in the Annual Architects of Tomorrow Contest, proposing an impressive multifunctional building beside the famous Rio-Niterói bridge. The project gained notoriety and was selected for the UN-Habitat award, which highlights efficient ideas that can be applied for future sustainable development. 

Boards from the project were presented at the Annual Architect of Tomorrow Contest and selected for the UN-Habitat award. Images courtesy of architect Mari Baroli. 

Her practical knowledge and flexibility led to an interview invitation from Rede Globo, one of Brazil's largest open TV broadcasters. On the TV show "É de Casa," Mari shared tips on lighting and energy efficiency that everyone can apply in Brazilian households. 

Transitioning to teaching and the digital world

In 2016, Mari began offering modeling, documentation, and rendering classes to colleagues seeking her help. After significant changes with the pandemic and social media boom, Mari founded Studio Baroli, a firm that creates architectural and interior projects and produces impressive presentations tailored for social media. Over 200k followers are interested in Studio Baroli's unmistakable graphic presentation style. Mari devotes most of her time to teaching how to create stunning visualizations, 2D presentations with LayOut, and renderings with V-Ray, all based on 3D models made in SketchUp.

Mari explores the entire SketchUp product ecosystem when creating 3D models, 2D documentation, and realistic renderings at Studio Baroli. Images courtesy of Studio Baroli. 

Her specialty: LayOut

Mari Baroli has extensive experience in architecture visualization — all the impressive 2D presentations highlighted on Studio Baroli's Instagram are created with LayOut. Mari has an optimized workflow from 3D to 2D; her Studio first develops all projects in SketchUp’s 3D modeler before bringing them into LayOut to create 2D documentation. Her secret to working efficiently in LayOut is to build organized models in SketchUp.

Streamlined workflow for importing SketchUp models into LayOut. Gif courtesy of Studio Baroli. 

The well-executed 3D models offer endless presentation possibilities. Using scenes created in SketchUp, she builds detailed boards in LayOut showcasing various angles and details of her projects, including interior design, carpentry documentation, an isometric projection, exploded views, reference images, ultra-realistic renderings, and more.

Mari customizes texts and icons to match the project's aesthetics and uses realistic elements in her models to give clients the best view of the final result. Additionally, she places special care on the level of detail in the projects. She highlights all the necessary construction information so that everyone involved in the project can carry out their roles confidently.

Technical floor plan of integrated living room and kitchen. Gif courtesy of Studio Baroli. 

One of Mari’s favorite functions in LayOut is the Scrapbook feature, which she uses to create her own libraries that host all elements frequently used by her firm. This feature saves her time on various tasks, such as specifying products in interior design plans and adding detailed pieces to carpentry guidebooks. The tool standardizes her team's work because everyone can access these libraries easily. 

In this webinar with the SketchUp team, Mari Baroli discusses her workflow from 3D to 2D with SketchUp and LayOut, providing visual examples and practical tips for users. She includes best practices for building organized models in SketchUp, achieving precision in representations in LayOut, and presenting workflows that architects and interior designers can incorporate at their offices for success.

No matter the size of your project, discover the potential of visualization with a portfolio created in SketchUp. Subscribe now and amaze your clients like Studio Baroli does. Incorporate LayOut into your workflow and enrich your projects with unique details.

About Studio Baroli

Established in 2022, Studio Baroli has experienced rapid and steady growth by delighting clients and followers on social media. With over 200k followers, the firm specializes in residential and interior design projects and offers online courses. Mari Baroli is a SketchUp ambassador and a specialist in architectural visual representations. Explore more projects from Studio Baroli on Instagram. Discover Studio Baroli's courses and learn more about advanced workflows with SketchUp and LayOut.