Born in Scheveningen he was educated in England, studying archaeology at Durham. He worked as an archaeologist before taking an unexpected leap into the music business, working a sboth a song-writer and producer. In 1987 he moved, with his family, to Cornwall and became involved with John Nelson and Heligan. the book that Smit wrote about the gardens did very well.
Later he started the Eden project, near St Austell, an £80 million initiative to build three transparent biomes in an old clay pit. The biomes contain different eco-climates loosely based on the different climates found throughout the world - tropical jungle, temperate, and desert. Eden professes to educate people about environmental matters and encourages a greater understanding and empathy with these matters. Smit was mainly involved in raising the needed funds, the site design was by Nicholas Grimshaw.