Following this there was a boat tour of the magnificent city of Venice and a tour of Scarpa’s Olivetti store in St Marks Square and the Fondazione Querini Stampalia.

There was plenty of good food, wine and conversations flowed throughout!

If you are a partner of an Architecture practice and would like to apply for a place on our next tour, please email venice@ehsmith.co.uk

Our team can provide technical support and supply across the S.Anselmo range.

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A brick is supposed to be opaque, heavy, repeatable, structural, anonymous. The two materials at the centre of this installation are none of those things. One is translucent hand-cast glass made by Fornace Sant’Anselmo that captures and diffuses light and the other is a deliberately deformed, highly textured, brick from Terraformae, Sant’Anselmo’s experimental line.

The installation plays with contradiction, solidity and transparency, weight and lightness, refinement and erosion, and looks at what a brick can become when it is released from the wall. 

Both materials are shaped through fire-based manufacturing. The glass brick is blown and pressed in a Veneto furnace that has been active for over a century, and is part of Sant’Anselmo’s main product line. The eroded brick is fired at Terraformae, Sant’Anselmo’s experimental hub, where the kiln is treated as a place of controlled accident.

For EH Smith, the installation reflects an ongoing dialogue between material supply, architectural experimentation and creative collaboration. Known for supplying architectural façade systems, bricks and ceramic and terracotta cladding solutions across the UK, the company has worked closely with architects and designers for over a century to realise projects that push the application of traditional materials in new directions.

Light as Brick will be on display throughout the summer of 2026 at EH Smith’s Clerkenwell Design Centre, 38-42 St John St, London, EC1M 4DL.

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EH Smith and Howells have partnered on many projects over the years. Both companies began life in Birmingham, just up the road from where the Design Centre now stands, and that shared connection to the city became central to the project’s purpose. What truly strengthened the collaboration was a common belief in why we work the way we do: a commitment to high-quality design, to supporting the next generation of creatives and built-environment professionals, and to contributing positively to the wider industry.

The building itself was a vast, empty industrial warehouse. When we first stepped inside, the scale of the opportunity, and the challenge, was immediately clear. Our ambition became to transform that shell into a vibrant focal point for Birmingham’s design and construction community. We wanted to retain and reuse what was already there while creating something exciting, energising and completely new.

At its centre sits the largest commercial brick display in the world, naturally lit and constantly evolving as materials move in and out and mock-ups are built, tested and rebuilt. Alongside it is a fully accessible area for hands-on masonry demonstrations, including Porotherm, continuing our long tradition of practical, skills-focused learning.

The space also houses a series of more intimate spaces arranged over three floors, including meeting rooms, quieter breakout areas, presentation and learning spaces, co-working and flexible working areas, a kitchen, a garden and a rooftop terrace accessed through full-height glazed doors. These areas are designed to support conversation, reflection, informal working and community gatherings, with the terrace set to host events, talks and evenings overlooking Digbeth.

A project of true collaboration, we’re proud to share this new chapter with Howells, with Birmingham, and with the design and construction community we’ve always called home.

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Birmingham is definitely growing up. Or upwards. The city’s bold Big City Plan of 2010 advocated high rise developments. Taking advantage of the Birmingham plateau and pertinently pressure on the area for development land a series of high rise developments have come to fruition in the years since.

The skyline, once articulated by the Rotunda and BT Tower, is now dotted with 100 meter+ structures. The Octagon, 103 Colmore Row, One Eastside all vie for attention with new towers emerging to the south as the city continues to rise.

Whilst South Central is not quite at the 100 meter level it seems to be playing a different game. Not for South Central the one upmanship race, it is playing a different game which is based on the architectural traditions of the city and the a classy nod to its complicated surroundings.

An understanding of the city’s on off love affair with terracotta is important. “Materiality was key” says Adam McPartland, Director of Glancy Nicholls Architects and Design Lead for South Central. “We wanted to take from and celebrate the city’s architectural traditions. The city has a real quality and legacy of terracotta buildings but contemporary examples are rare.”

This was perhaps music to the ears of the City’s Planners who have promoted the vernacular traditions of Birmingham in recent years. McPartland argues it also goes a little against the grain of Birmingham’s post-war architectural impulse for every new building to shout louder than the last.

“Terracotta is quite a humble material in some ways. But it’s a material that we’ve been using for centuries. It’s easy to work with and actually creates a sophisticated and elegant statement in its own polite way. It sits a building neatly within its landscape and in the context of Birmingham is about a city re-discovering its heritage.”

“The challenge for us was a pleasing one really. The City Council were concerned about quality. Could (the terracotta) deliver the quality, robustness and performance that modern buildings need? Aesthetically they were sold but the building has to deliver. On acoustics for example. This is a bustling part of town. On that question alone there have been no complaints. The terracotta has worked well for the building’s occupants.”

The textural panels, which are Agrob Buchtal’s K20 Keratwin system, are punctuated by bronze metal bands. Another nod to the city’s heritage. The redness of the tiles adding an authenticity to the city’s traditions that give the building a sense of always having been there.

For McPartland the opening of the building is a source of personal pride. “It’s always nice to glimpse the building from different parts of the city. To get views that are sometimes unexpected. There was a purity in the design process that we were able to stick to. The end result…I think….is a high quality building that doesn’t need to shout to make itself heard.”

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As part of our commitment to providing exceptional levels of service, we have created this centre, in partnership with Howells, to explore materials that are used in the sector. As Glenn Howells, Founding Partner of Howells, said at our launch “A true understanding of Architecture comes from an understanding of materials.”

We heard from Prof Carl Chinn MBE, Social Historian, around the fascinating history of the Digbeth area at the heart of the Industrial Revolution, and the building itself. John Parker, Chairman of EH Smith, went on to talk about the history of the company and how intertwined it was with this area – our first yard being opened in the 1920’s less than a mile away.

Glenn Howells continued by talking about the importance of this collaboration for the sector in Birmingham and the wider UK, to provide a unique space to come together and explore materials. John Cave, Executive Director of EH Smith, went on to talk about the future vision of the centre and thank those who have brought this piece of Birmingham History back to life.

Bostin Brass, made famous by playing at Ozzy Ozbourne’s funeral procession through the city, then played a memorable set of contemporary hits with a distinctly Brummie twist!

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In recent years, lightweight brick slip systems have become popular for various methods of construction. Occam is a result of extensive research and testing to create the most versatile and efficient brick slip system on the market.

Let’s make it simple

Every element of the Occam system has been considered. From the flat back of the tray to enable easy installation of fire barriers to the pressure plate which holds the slips in place without the need for fiddly fixings – the installer is front and centre of this system. The 3-course tray ensures that installation is speedy and the robust testing gives peace of mind to the project team.

Architects and Designers can chose from a huge range of almost any type of brick finish from all major UK and EU manufacturers (subject to cutting tests) and a wide range of manufactured slip and tile finishes are also available to ensure that the end result looks exactly as envisaged.

Occam’s Razor: The problem-solving principle that recommends searching for explanations constructed with the smallest possible set of elements.

Brick Slip Finish

Tile Finish

Testing

UL (Underwriters Laboratories) is a globally recognised UKAS accredited organisation that offers certification, testing and auditing services to a wide range of industries including the building envelope.

The Occam system has been evaluated by UL and meets the requirements of the UL Mark ‘Performance of Curtain Walling and Cladding and Rainscreen Cladding Support Systems’ certification scheme.

UL Mark is listed by NHBC as an accepted product certification scheme, alongside BBA (British Board of Agrément) and Kiwa, in the NHBC Technical Guidance 2.1/01.

Below is a brief overview of the criteria covered by this certification:

• Detailed product overview
• Assessment of factory production control systems
• Compliance with NHBC Standard 2024 Chapter 6.9
• Contribution towards key requirements of the building regulations
• Installation requirements and procedures
• Test documentation
• Ongoing surveillance

For further information, please contact the team on occam@ehsmith.co.uk

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Innovative displays from Wienerberger, Ibstock, Vandersanden, Sant Anselmo, Ketley, Agrob Buchtal, Soladrilho, Proteus Facades, ACO Technologies and many more will ensure that the space is filled with relevant solutions to the issues the industry faces.

Collaborators include:

Howells – Lead Architects

Glancy Nicholls – Terracotta display design

The Space Studio – Reception desk and bar design

Webb Yates – Structural Engineers

Axiom Bridge – Project Manager

Lathwood Construction – Base Build Contractor

Probuild 360 – Fitout Contractor

CCL Facades – Cladding Contractor

FACE Brickwork – Brickwork Contractor

Lyons & Annoot – Brickwork Contractor

XAL – Lighting Supplier

IG Masonry Support – Brick display manufacturer

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The new Dance Theatre for Sadler’s Wells by O’Donnell & Tuomey is a masterclass in Urban Regeneration. The building has a real sense of place which echoes the industrial heritage of the Stratford area of London.

“Our aim was for the building to feel archaic – as if it were not only designed to last a long time but also to seem as though it has always been part of the fabric of the town,” said O’Donnell + Tuomey co-founder John Tuomey.

The building’s exterior is wrapped in handmade Venetian brick and tiles that were crafted from the same clay to create a unified façade. This solidity is counterbalanced by chamfers and corbelled brick details to add texture.

Sk1n Tiles, which were used on the saw-tooth roof, were developed in Italy by Sant Anselmo – Sk1n DNA is intimately connected to timeless and iconic European craftsmanship. Combining the enduring beauty of terracotta with contemporary ceramic techniques and colors, Sk1n offers a range of imaginative applications, from unique façades to distinctive roof lines – all united in one seamless material expression.

Clean and uniform lines without interruptions between walls and roof. Any design lover or expert would be delighted by such words. Sk1n Terra is the perfect match for this particular style: the innovative overlapping lines of the profile of a S.Anselmo terracotta façade will give your projects a sophisticated and harmonious look thanks to the use of one single material.

Sk1n is a terracotta ventilated façade system suitable for any kind of building shell – from walls to layered roofs. Designed to be assembled on waterproof structure, it is extremely easy to install: each piece is secured with screws or nails on horizontal wooden or steel battens. Horizontal joints are overlapped while vertical ones are misaligned, creating a rather exceptional visual effect.

See the full range here: Sk1n Tiles Archives – EH Smith

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All in all another action packed week, roll on CDW2025!

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