Albert William Smith was born in Maidstone, Kent, England in 1855 and was articled to Walton Anderson in Nottingham in 1869. He worked as an assistant in the offices of Martin Bulmer (1838-?) in Maidstone from September 1872; Robert Winter Johnson (1833-1884) in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire and Kettering from September 1874; John Hickson in Manchester from August 1877; an Eli Milnes (1830-1899) and Charles France (1833?-1902) in Bradford, Yorkshire in 1878-79.
Smith commenced independent practice as an architect in 1879. He was in partnership with George Ruck (1823-1880) and Frederick William Ruck (1854-1936) as Ruck, Son & Smith [later Ruck & Smith] in Maidstone from 1880 to the late 1920s. He was Surveyor to the Maidstone Trustees of the Poor; to the Rating Authority of the Borough; and Surveyor to the Maidstone and Mld-Kent Mutual Building Society.
His address was given as 45 King Street, Maidstone, Kent in 1861; Bridge Foot, High Street, Maidstone, Kent in 1886; 1 Lower Frant Road, Maidstone, Kent in 1888 and 1923; 86 Week Street, Maidstone, Kent in 1894 and 1926; ; 47 Lower Frant Road, Maidstone, Kent in 1924 and 1929. He died at a nursing home in Frant Road, Maidstone, Kent on 20 March 1929.
Kent County Council offices, Maidstone, in partnership with Frederick W. Ruck, County Architect. For the Corporation of Maidstone: — Technical Schools and School of Art, Public Library, extensions to the Museum, Public Baths, Police Station, etc. For the Maidstone Rural District Council: — Isolation Hospital, and Council offices. Kent College, Folkestone ; many churches and chapels; extensions : — West Kent General Hospital, and Kent County Ophthalmic Hospital: factories for Foster Clark, Ltd. and Sharps "Kreemy Toffee"; numerous houses, business premises, warehouses, mills, garages
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 2: L-Z. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001