EH Smith Architectural Solutions is proud to announce the opening of its new Digbeth Design Centre – a first-of-its-kind destination for the architecture and construction community in the Midlands.

Housed in a sensitively restored 150-year-old industrial building on Bradford Street, Birmingham, the centre features the largest accessible commercial brick display in Britain, and the biggest showcase of bricks in Europe.

Described as a "boutique of bricks", the centre is a significant addition to the UK's architectural landscape and represents EH Smith’s first city centre presence since the 1960s.

More than a traditional showroom, the Digbeth Design Centre has been created as a hub for design inspiration, industry collaboration, and professional learning. It brings together an extensive range of materials and fabrications, from facades and civils to innovative new building products, offering a single destination for exploring solutions to the sector’s most pressing challenges, including sustainability and evolving fire safety regulations.

With dedicated space for education, demonstrations, and discussion, the centre provides built environment professionals with access to products and expertise that meet the latest standards while supporting the future of responsible, resilient design.

A new destination for the construction community

Located on Bradford Street in Digbeth, the city's rapidly transforming creative quarter, the new facility is a dedicated resource for architects, designers, developers and contractors, directly opposite the vast Smithfield regeneration project.

It showcases a vast array of bricks, facades and construction products from leading UK and European manufacturers, as well as masonry support systems, detailing solutions, and large-scale samples. There’s even a hands-on demonstration area for visitors to ‘have a go’.

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More than a product display, the centre was designed to be open, collaborative, and immersive. It offers space for workshops, design consultations, and speaker events.

Transforming industrial heritage with design excellence

The Digbeth Design Centre occupies a 150-year-old former industrial building, now given a bold new lease of life through an exciting collaboration between EH Smith Architectural Solutions and neighbouring architects, Howells.

The building's refurbishment process, led by EH Smith, has revealed and celebrated various layers of the building’s industrial past. During the renovation, previously hidden structural phases and construction challenges were uncovered and resolved, adding depth and character to the final design.

The result is a striking exterior transformation that helps to redefine Bradford Street, combining brick craftsmanship with a stunning new terracotta façade by Portuguese ceramic specialists, Soladrilho. The centre also features several artist-led and architect-designed installations and artworks, developed in collaboration with local creative businesses and practices, to reflect the wide range of façade and material possibilities available to specifiers today.

A first for the city

This new design-led space is the first of its kind in Birmingham and brings a distinctly local, independent character to the sector while supporting the needs of national and international projects.

John Cave, Executive Director of EH Smith Group, said: "We're absolutely thrilled to open our new Design Centre in Digbeth – a part of Birmingham that’s full of energy and transformation. Just a couple of miles from the Small Heath railway sidings where EH Smith's story first began, it feels like a fitting new chapter for us.

"Smithfield and Digbeth are fast becoming a hive of activity, and we're proud to be right at the heart of it. What was once a modest Victorian warehouse has been reimagined into a vibrant new destination for the Midlands' construction and design community.

"This has been a true collaboration – with our partners at Howells, and with so many talented people from Birmingham's architecture and creative industries. We can’t wait to welcome architects, designers and construction professionals to explore, connect and be inspired in our new home."

Howells Founding Partner, Glenn Howells, added: "The new EH Smith Digbeth Design Centre is the result of a close partnership between EH Smith and Howells.

"This project marks an important moment for Birmingham. It celebrates the manufacturing and craftsmanship that first made the city great, and it is an important first step towards Digbeth fulfilling its potential as a centre for creativity and design excellence.

"Our joint ambition was always that it will become a space where designers, engineers, makers, and builders can come together to exchange ideas, test new approaches – but we also hope that through workshops, events and conversations it will also inspire the next generation of designers."

Visit or enquire

The Digbeth Design Centre is now open for drop-in visits, appointments and events. Architecture and construction professionals are invited to explore the space and consult with the EH Smith team on live or upcoming projects.

For bookings or enquiries, contact: [email protected]