The ArchitEx 2018 conference took place this week in the amazing St George’s Hall in Liverpool. I was asked to speak at the session on 'using inventive design to solve real life challenges'. Although this is an architect’s role for every commission, it provided a good excuse to muse about six of our (very different) projects over the last 50 years: Royal Exchange Theatre, LSO St Luke's, Liverpool HIP, Withington Girls' School, James Lighthill Building and Wilkins Terrace. No magic dust or special formula, just passion and care, and the desire to look beyond the path of least resistance.

Our panel chair was Richard Tracey from Places Matter!, with four of us presenting our complementary topics. My challenge was to follow Dominic Wilkinson, an excellent architect lecturer from Liverpool John Moores University. Next, Conor Ellis from Rider Levett Bucknall presented on design quality indicators whilst Alan Williams from the Institute of Civil Engineers spoke about delivering infrastructure. All in all, a great afternoon.