Brian Bethea Smith, 55: Architect made new houses fit surroundings

By Rick Badie

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Brian Smith always adhered to design plans and ensured that houses conformed to their surroundings.

The architect worked well with builders and made sure homeowners were satisfied with the end product. He listened, too.

"His architectural style was to create a house that looked like it had been there from day one and was part of the neighborhood," said Rob McConnell, a builder who specializes in the construction of high-end homes in Buckhead. "He made sure his vision came through."

Mr. Smith focused on the construction of custom homes and redesigns. Ken Sidwell, his partner the past 15 years, said his projects primarily were located in the areas of  Buckhead and Brookhaven.

"He was a historian and was well-known by the preservation societies throughout town," he said. "It would be hard to pinpoint just one house that was exceptional. They were all Michelangelos. But one he did on Rivers Road gave him an opportunity to put a home back in a location that would make it look like it had been there forever."

That particular Buckhead house belongs to Mark and Sally Hawn.

"It was our requirement that the house not look out of place," Mrs. Hawn said. "This is an older street. A lot of the homes had been here since the early 1900s. He drew up the plans for us and we are very pleased."

Brian Bethea Smith, 55, was diagnosed with lung cancer nine months ago. He died on Aug. 20 from complications of the disease at Hospice Atlanta.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at his childhood church, St. Andrews United Methodist, in Orangeburg, S.C. An Atlanta service will be held at a later date. SouthCare Cremation Society and Memorial Centers in Marietta is in charge of arrangements.

After graduation from Orangeburg High, Mr. Smith earned a bachelor's degree in architecture at Clemson University. In 1979, he earned a master's degree in architecture and real estate development at Georgia Tech.

For 10 years, Mr. Smith was one of the lead designers at the Atlanta firm Niles Bolton Associates. In 1991, he founded his own business, a one-man shop with an office on Peachtree Street. The Eagle Scout's award-winning designs have been featured in home magazines and honored by builders associations.

"First and foremost, he needed to make sure all the plan's expectations were met," said Mr. Sidwell, who estimates the architect had a hand in building or redesigning more than 300 houses in metro Atlanta.

Other than work, Mr. Smith didn't dabble in hobbies. He loved the water, though, and he and his partner owned a 30-foot boat and second home on the Coosaw River in Beaufort, S.C.

"If he wasn't at the beach, then floating around in the pool in the backyard was his escape," Mr. Sidwell said.

Additional survivors include his parents, Dr. Hugh E. and Martha Smith of Orangeburg, S.C.; a sister, Bonnie Raney of Lake Lure, N.C.; and a brother, Jefferson H. Smith of Columbia, S.C.