Opening the EH Smith Digbeth Design Centre – a Collaboration Between EH Smith and Howells

 

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.