Speech Day Address – Daniel Smith

Good afternoon to our children, parents, and teachers,

Thank you for welcoming me. I’m excited to talk about something I love—Architecture.

At its heart, Architecture is about people: their stories, their dreams, and the spaces that support their lives. Every line we draw should serve, inspire, and connect the people who use a place. It’s about you—your family and friends. It’s about where you live, learn, play, and grow.

Have you ever wondered why a classroom feels comfortable, why home feels cosy, or why a park makes you smile? Architecture shapes those feelings. It lives in quiet moments, shared memories, and the rhythm of everyday life. Our goal is to create spaces that feel personal and meaningful.

I’d like to share a little of my journey. I was born into a working-class family in the Dingle, Liverpool. My dad was a steel-fabrication engineer, and my mum loved Art. As a child, I visited sites with my dad. I remember the lines of the steel and the spaces they formed. From then on, I wanted to be an architect.

At Bowring Comprehensive, I told my Careers Teacher about that dream. She laughed and said it wasn’t realistic—perhaps the Navy would suit me better. I went home and told my mum I could always be a window cleaner. She said, “You can be whoever you want to be.”

I wasn’t a top student at school, so I went back to college to earn my Maths and English. I joined a YTS Engineering scheme, then interviewed with Metford Design, an architectural practice. I completed my ONC and HNC in Construction and qualified as an architectural technician. A tutor at Liverpool John Moores University encouraged me to keep going: “Have you thought about becoming an architect? I think you should.”

During a recession I moved to Brock Carmichael, a larger practice, and stayed for 15 years. I told Partner Peter Carmichael I wanted to qualify as an architect. He believed in me. I became the first apprentice there to complete my studies part-time while helping to run million-pound projects. I also became the first at the practice to complete a part-time Master’s at the Liverpool School of Architecture. It was hard work—I sometimes slept at the office.

University and its tutors widened my view of the world. One tutor, John Brown, in particular encouraged me to think bigger.

After qualifying, I travelled to Los Angeles with my portfolio. I visited one of my favourite architects, Eric Owen Moss. I asked for a job. After an hour together, he offered me one—and several other offers followed. Visa issues meant I couldn’t stay, but the experience gave me confidence to return home and start something of my own.

Back in the UK, my friend Gavin Stamper introduced me to Steve McHugh of McHugh Stoppard. Against the usual advice—and with no money and only two projects—I took on the practice. Ten years later, with my good friend Michael, we became SMITH YOUNG, an award-winning practice based in Liverpool.

Life has a way of coming full circle. Today, I examine candidates for the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Part 3—the final professional exam—and I also tutor at the Liverpool School of Architecture. Not bad for a boy from the Dingle.

I owe so much to people: my mum, dad, and sister; my tutors; my colleagues; Michael; my partner Madeline; my friend Vidal; and Cal, my late wife. Their belief shaped me.

Over the past three years, our team at SMITH YOUNG has worked with Tower College. We’ve learned that this is more than a school—it’s a family. You have welcomed us into that family and involved pupils and staff in the design process. Even site visits became valuable learning. Yes, we always follow Health and Safety rules, but we also know how powerful it can be for children to see how buildings come together.

To our pupils: listen to your teachers. You never know where their advice might lead you. My journey has had highs and lows—mostly highs—built on determination, belief, and the idea that dreams can come true.

If you love Art, Maths, Science, building things with your hands, or imagining something new, you might be an architect in the making.

And finally, if there’s one thing, actually two words, I would like you to remember from today; let it be this:

I’m BATMAN.