Crown Plaster INC. - Edmonton

There was a vital practical component to the program, and Jan found he enjoyed the variety of the work and challenges that come at him every day. The creative aspect of his job brings him joy as he observes the progress of his projects take shape around him.

Jan gained a great deal of creative experience when he worked on the movie sets of Enemy at the Gates and The Pianist. His work on those sets was mainly in plaster and varied from creating simulated damage to recreating other materials.

He worked with companies around Germany restoring historic buildings. Germany has strict heritage building laws, and it was often difficult to create exact replicas. The interior and exterior plaster and stucco work often had to be recreated from photos, using plaster formulations from that era. Modern materials would damage the integrity of the historical recreations he had set out to complete.

Jan set out to gain experience with modern drywall on the inside of buildings and outside using modern techniques founded in Europe and are now becoming quite common in Alberta.

Jan found additional opportunities to expand his knowledge and experience in international techniques with work in India. He continued in the plaster and stucco business, working with architects, product research, project management, project supervision, and quality control. He gained an increased appreciation for using natural products such as bamboo, contributing to his interest in sustainable, non-polluting building products that continue today.

Moving back to Canada, Jan continued to refine his process and apply his exceptional plaster and stucco work, embracing his life lifelong experience and turning them into beautiful new fixtures of Albertan design.