Category 8: Heavenly Builder
Nominated by satisfied customers of firms whose annual turnover is under £300,000.
Project: Working in extreme conditions on a tricky site to build a beautiful guest house, when others had rejected the project as too difficult
Builder: Janusz Jolkowitcz, John Services Building & Joinery, Aberfeldy, Perthshire
Client: Bill and Lou Oppenheim
Polish-born builder Janusz Jolkowitcz, 41, was the only builder willing to take on the job of building a guest house on the sloping mountainside of Lou and Bill Oppenheim’s Acharn home in Perthshire. He even moved his business from Birmingham to the west coast of Scotland to do so!
Every other builder the Oppenheims approached was put off by the lack of access for materials and plant at the remote, mountainside site, but Janusz knew a simpler way of working. Within half an hour of starting on the project, Janusz had built a wooden chute to transport materials down the steep slope from the driveway of the main house to the building site for the guest house.
And undeterred by the lack of access for machinery, Janusz hand dug the foundations through rock and mud. Despite appalling weather conditions, he battled on late into the evenings protected from the wind and rain only by a tarpaulin, with the site lit by a storm lamp.
“Our neighbour’s builders retreated to their steamed-up vans with mugs of tea when the rain poured down, but Janusz and his labourer battled on through lashing winds,” said Lou. “He never complained - in fact his favourite phrase was ‘no problem’.
“We were so impressed by Janusz’s cheerfulness, his dedication and his high professional standards. He had to build on a steep slope, with very poor access and in horrible weather. But he never complained, and despite the incessant rain he just kept working,” added Lou.
Janusz also kept the access clear to the family home and Lou’s acupuncture business throughout the build, keeping the building noise down when she had clients and even helping the older ones from their cars. Many clients commented on his courtesy and sunny demeanour even during the worst of the weather.
Back on site, Janusz worked well with the clients, suggesting improvements to the design including reconfiguring the internal layout to allow a sauna to be added within the bathroom, as well as further external improvements including safety lighting and extra drainage.
The result of Janusz’s hard work and high quality of workmanship is a stunning Frank Lloyd–Wright inspired guest house with amazing unbroken views over Loch Tay and the Grampian mountains.
Lou explained that as her husband Bill is from America, the guest house is constantly occupied by friends, family and colleagues from the States, who are completely overwhelmed by their guest accommodation. “The standard of workmanship and attention to fine detail is amazing, such as the beautifully mitred corners,” she added.
Janusz Jolkowitcz was so taken with the area that he decided to set up a building company in Aberfeldy and settle there. He is now a committed bass in the Aberfeldy and District Gaelic choir and has his own kilt in Aberfeldy tartan, especially designed by the Strathmore Woollen Company.
He said: “I am very happy with my life in Aberfeldy. It’s a beautiful place, the people are friendly, and there is plenty of good work. And I love singing in the choir, it is fantastic for me. Gaelic is not a problem for me. So many sounds are easy because they are like Polish sounds.”
