Calling a SmartObject method from inside a workflow code event

Currently i'm doing something like this:

        public string runSPGetEmailSmartObject(string userName, string connString)

        {

            string userMail = "";

            string smartObjectName = "SPUser";

            string smartObjectMethodName = "Read";

            try

            {

                // create smart object server client to query smartobjects

                SmartObjectClientServer soServer = new SmartObjectClientServer();

                soServer.CreateConnection();

                soServer.Connection.Open(connString);

                //Instantiate SmartObject

                SmartObject so = soServer.GetSmartObject(smartObjectName);

                so.Properties["LoginName"].Value = userName;

                so.MethodToExecute = smartObjectMethodName;

                soServer.ExecuteScalar(so);

                userMail = so.Properties["Email"].Value;

            }

            catch (Exception Ex)

            {

                Console.WriteLine(Ex.Message);

            }

            return userMail;

        }

inside the workflow, which is identical to how I would do it if I was to call a SmartObject method from a standalone ASPX page.

Is there a more efficient way of doing this from inside a workflow code event. Currently i'm having to formulate a connection string which I feel I shouldn't need to create as the code runs in the context of the workflow.

any advice greatfully recieved

Martin.