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The conversation covers the subject of love, before moving to the closely related theme of money then making a surprise detour and ending up at Ken Shuttleworth. So what better place to begin than picking up people in supermarkets?

Duncan thinks there鈥檚 a name for it, but he doesn鈥檛 know what. Chris suggests 鈥渨alking down the aisles鈥� and Hilary informs us that, statistically, you are most likely to meet your future partner while waiting in the queue of a coffee shop.

But what about the love life of architects? Polly makes the unromantic point that she made sure she never went out with a fellow designer at university, which Duncan trumps with the thought that he wouldn鈥檛 go out with a female architect because 鈥淚 know what your life鈥檚 like鈥�.

Luckily, Duncan doesn鈥檛 think this applies to men. 鈥淟ots of very successful male architects are married to wealthy women who just think it鈥檚 charming to have an architect. There鈥檚 a well known one, a British architect who 鈥撯�� (鈥淪taying off the record,鈥� purrs Hilary. 鈥淪taying off the record. I鈥檝e just been kicked in the shins 鈥︹赌� adds Duncan), 鈥溾�� who would have gone bankrupt without his wife鈥檚 father.鈥�

This is the cue for Polly to talk about money. 鈥淚f we think there鈥檚 a job we might go a long way doing things for nothing and at the end the client can walk away guilt-free and the architect鈥檚 thinking 鈥業鈥檓 stuffed again鈥�.鈥�

Chris suggests architects should present a united front to such advantage-taking clients. Hilary mentions Stuart McColl, who鈥檚 been 鈥渂uying up practices left, right and centre鈥�. Polly interjects with 鈥渨e鈥檝e been approached鈥�, which is evidently news to Hilary.

But what about the opposite tendency, to resign and set up on your own? There鈥檚 a consensus that this is a brave move, 鈥渆specially for breadwinners鈥�. As Polly says, 鈥淚t takes a long time to get clients to trust you 鈥� and even then, nothing is ever definite鈥�.

Which brings us to Ken Shuttleworth鈥檚 decision to set up Make. Duncan, at first, is sharply critical (鈥淛ust because you can make something purple and wonky and ugly doesn鈥檛 mean you should鈥�), but Chris is more appreciative. 鈥淚鈥檓 impressed by how quickly he鈥檚 built up his practice. I鈥檝e been to Foster鈥檚 office and it鈥檚 so controlled and I鈥檝e been to Make鈥檚 office and it鈥檚 like a complete rebellion 鈥� there are paper models and a pool table and they鈥檝e got massive speakers and everyone鈥檚 in combats.鈥�

Duncan, perhaps repenting his rashness, adds that Ken will be fine once he鈥檚 鈥渟ettled down鈥� and shed the Foster brand, which leaves it to Polly to bestow the ultimate accolade: 鈥淵es, they鈥檙e almost as good as Assael 鈥︹赌�