EH Smith Architectural Solutions

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 colours, 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.For more information please get in touch - NBS Spec can be found here - Sk1n by S.Anselmo - Clay Tile | EH Smith Architectural Solutions | NBS Source

The façade, covered in light brown Sk1n tiles with a horizontal pattern, integrates the building into the natural environment characterized by mimicking the typical structure of the sedimentary rock with a layered texture. The choice of a clay cladding material with high-density characteristics ensures a high thermal lag performance by increasing inertia with attenuation of high temperatures inside the building in summer.

Kinder Rain is a new kindergarten in Piove di Sacco, near Padua, commissioned through a public competition that attracted proposals on an international scale and explicitly encouraged an innovative approach aimed at shaping the “school of the future.” What makes the building even more distinctive is its envelope. The entire composition is unified by a continuous terracotta cladding made with custom S.Anselmo SK1N tiles, turning the façade into a clear declaration of intent: warm, tactile, and rooted in the Veneto tradition of clay construction, yet expressed through a precise, contemporary rhythm.

For the exterior cladding of this house, the architect (Jean Dufresne) sought to pay tribute to Chicago’s architectural tradition. He selected a refined combination of limestone and Sk1n VTB tiles—materials that lend the home a sense of solidity and timelessness. The warm, natural texture of Sk1n VTB blends seamlessly with the home’s clean facade palette, which is accented by dark metal elements that add a contemporary edge. “We wanted to strike a balance between innovation and historical memory,” Dufresne explains. S.Anselmo’s materials helped emphasize that duality, creating a surface that feels both tactile and elegant, engaging in a quiet dialogue with its urban surroundings.

Taxi House, located along London’s Grand Union Canal, has been transformed from a former Taxi Headquarters into a vibrant residential and lifestyle destination. The building features 332 private studios, wellness facilities, a canal-side restaurant, cinema, recording studio, and a 10th-floor panoramic guest lounge.Designed by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, EH Smith supplied high-quality green ceramic terracotta cladding from Soladrilho, helping bring the architect’s vision to life with a combination of durability, texture, and architectural character.Contractors on the project were McAleer & Rushe & Conneely Group

Working with Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) we were able to provide a solution for the bricks and ceramic cladding for this Weston Homes development in Greenwich.The site was formerly a Telegraph Works where the first transatlantic telegraph cable was built and where transatlantic submarine cables were still built until 1975.The bespoke colours of the A1 fire rated cladding were developed by our partners Agrob Buchtal to the Architects' specification.

The historic Boswells department store in Oxford has been given a new lease of life by Reef Group as a new lifestyle hotel with 101 rooms, a destination bar and restaurant, rooftop bar, restorative spa and spaces to work, relax, discover and explore. The project adapted and extended the existing 1920’s Edwardian building and transformed the building into a contemporary and comfortable hotel, whilst respecting the unique heritage of the building as a much-loved and historical department store.EH Smith worked closely with the project team to develop a solution using the KeraTwin K20 New Wave ceramic cladding and baguettes to form the upper level façade.

This extension to the Tate St Ives nestles into the beautiful surroundings of the Cornish town. In reference to the history of ceramicists in St Ives, such as Bernard Leach, the building is clad in shiplapped ceramic tiles from our partners Agrob Buchtal, which were then hand glazed in the UK by glazing experts Froyles.Architects, Jamie Fobert, selected these tiles as the clay is pale sandy yellow with blue and green glazes that capture the ever-changing Cornish weather and blend into the hues of the sea beyond.The end result is a sensitive exterior which reflects the craftsmanship contained within.Tate St Ives was awarded the Art Fund’s Museum of the Year and shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize 2018.

England’s home of Rugby has been given an impressive face lift with bespoke aluminium shingles and engineered ceramic granite rainscreen cladding materials supplied by EH Smith.2,350m2 of interlocking cladding panels were manufactured from aluminium alloy 3005H45, 0.9mm – 1.2mm thickness with a precoated Aluquartz zinc brushed finish. These were all supplied to a tight site programme of works and installed whilst the stadium was still operative having a fully concealed clip / bracket fixing support system.In addition to the shingles, EH Smith Facades supplied 500m2 of specialist Italian engineered ceramic granite cladding panels in three different formats; 6mm traditionally bonded, 12mm rainscreen panels on a secret fix aluminium support, and 6mm thick material incorporated into the spandrel panel of the curtain walling. All the ceramic panels were supplied with a Hytech impregnated coating which gives a self cleaning mechanism and air purification through a phototcatalytic reaction.EH Smith in conjunction with our Engineering partners Systea worked closely with the cladding contractor Prater to provide a full static calculation and indicative setting out and fixing details for the structural aluminium support grid to provide a cost effective support solution for this unique cladding façade.Project: Twickenham StadiumPlace: LondonCountry: UKBuilding type: Sports + Culture + RecreationType of construction project: RenovationCompletion: 2018SYSTEA wall bracket: Aluminium-L-BracketSYSTEA profile system: ALWI-V and UBE NGCladding material: Aluminum shingles and ceramic panelsFastening: ConcealedArchitect: KSS Design, LondonPhotos: EH Smith Specialist Facades

Designed by AHR Architects, the new UK Hydrographic Office in Taunton has won numerous awards including the BCO National Awards Corporate Workplace Award and Best of the Best Award 2020 and a Regional RIBA Award, RIBA Sustainability Award and RIBA Client of the year 2019.The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office is the UK’s agency for providing hydrographic and marine geospatial data to mariners and maritime organisations across the world. The UKHO is a trading fund of the Ministry of Defence and is located in Taunton, Somerset with a workforce of approximately 900 staff.We worked with the Architects, Client and Contractors to select one of our exclusive GeoBrick range for this prestigious project. The clean sleek lines and hardwearing stone finish provide a stunning façade to this landmark building. The warm texture of the brick also gives depth and character and softens the mass of the building.“The design principles of the building called for a linear brick which was modern and unique whilst complimenting the landscape and a variety of existing brick buildings surrounding the new HQ. The EH Smith Geobrick brindle bricks stood out from all the rest and we are delighted with the results. Personally, this is my favourite material used on this project!”- Johanna Funnell New Build Project Manager - UKHO

As a central part of the Wintringham Park 205ha Masterplan, Wintringham Primary Academy is a three-form entry school comprising a two-storey building that accommodates 708 students alongside 60 teachers and support staff.The glazed ceramic Keratwin panels from EH Smith draw inspiration from the seasonal colours found within nature and provide wayfinding and identity to the different year groups. The ceramic products offer a robust, colourful and fireproof façade and with the innovative Hytect coating the colours will stay crisp and clean as the tiles self-clean with rainfall.TESTIMONIAL"We were impressed with the support and assistance we received from EH Smith throughout all stages of the project. Their support ensured that we could deliver on our aspirations for the design and quality of this exemplar school project. The distinctive colour palette was all possible within the Keratwin 20 system and economically viable even with relatively small quantities. A huge thank you to EH Smith for their help in the successful delivery of this wonderful new school."- Philip Marsh Founding Partner, dRMM