9.30am-5pm, 19 September 2007 RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London W1

The 2007 RIBA Research Symposium, Reflections on Practice: capturing innovation and creativity, will take place on Wednesday 19 September at the RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London W1.

This year's symposium takes its theme from Leon van Shaik's book Mastering Architecture - Becoming a Creative Innovator in Practice. Launching the event, Professor van Shaik's keynote presentation will describe his international research programme. In the programme acknowledged innovative architects examine their own body of work and its impact, and reflect on their working methods and future directions. For many practitioners, a design approach is implicit and intuitive. But through this programme of reflection and examination, processes become more visible and accessible, and a language emerges to capture them; to the benefit of critics, educators, and the practitioner community.

A range of established and up-and-coming UK practitioners will respond to the theme by presenting their own recent work to illustrate their design position and the routes they have taken in pursuing innovative practice. The symposium will also include examples of action research where designers engage directly with stakeholders to challenge perceptions and to devise creative new solutions in sectors as diverse as healthcare and disaster relief.

The event, convened by Katherine Heron, Head of Architecture at the University of Westminster, will feature presentations from Professor Leon van Schaik, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology; Piers Gough, CZWG Architects; and will be chaired by Paul Finch, Editor of the Architectural Review with an opening address by Sunand Prasad; President elect of the RIBA.

Other speakers include Declan O'Carroll, Arup Associates; Kathryn Findlay, Ushida Findlay Architects; Deborah Saunt, DSDHA; Richard Blythe, Terroir, and RMIT; Alex de Rijke, de Rijke Marsh Morgan; Peter Barber, Peter Barber Architects; Sean Griffith, FAT; Gillian Lambert, 'voluntary D & B'; Fred Manson, Thomas Heatherwick Studio; Susan Francis, CABE; and Tom Lloyd-Jones, University of Westminster.

Ticket prices including VAT and lunch: RIBA members £75; Non-members £95; student-members £25.

To book a place, visit www.architecture.com 'Research and Development' pages and download a booking form, or contact Anna Gagliano on 020 7307 3714 or research@inst.riba.org

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Notes to editors

1. The RIBA Research Symposium is an annual event that encourages and disseminates architectural research work, and strengthens connections between practice and academic research. Each event features a prominent guest convenor and focuses on a different theme aimed at a diverse audience of practitioners, academics and students, mostly from architecture but also from across the construction professions, research institutions and academia.

2. Three RIBA President's Awards for Research are given annually, for outstanding PhD Thesis, University-located Research and Professional Practice-located Research.

Press places are available. If journalists would like to attend they should contact Dorelia Adeane in the RIBA Press Office Tel: 020 7307 3884 Email: dorelia.adeane@inst.riba.org