YOUR FMB FINISHING TOUCH
We ask FMB members five quick-fire questions to gain a glimpse into the diverse world of Master Builders FIVE IN FIVE
Robert Lea
Adam Smith
Robert Lea, Director at Berrywood Contractors Ltd Adam Smith, Director at Warvena Construction 1 What can’t you do without in your toolbox? Adam Smith : One of those pens with four different colours. I write down loads of things in black, mark in red everything I need to do, and mark it green for someone else in my team to do. I love it and when I meet other people who have one, we’re like, ‘You’re a bit of a nerd too.’ Robert Lea: A pencil and a tape measure. They’re items you tend to forget at home or leave on another job which is why I always have them under the seat in the van. 2 What’s your go- to radio station or what’s a favourite on-site song that gets everyone singing? AS: When I am working on my own, listening secretly with my headphones, it’s ‘The Greatest Showman’. Musicals just get me going.
wouldn’t want to change it because we have amazing houses all around the coast, some right on cliff edges, some right by the beach. The dream projects are those whopping big, Grand Designs homes. But in terms of location, we’re already there. RL: We have already had a dream client, which is amazing. A dream job would be anything new and high- end, like a one-off residential. Something unique. It’s special to be trusted to build someone’s dream home and that’s probably the golden job for most builders. Plus you’re not knocking down walls so it’s a lot cleaner. 5 If you weren’t a builder/ in construction, what would you do? AS: I wanted to be a chef when I was younger but I did three days of work experience and made 1,000 puddings. It was really terrible. So either something that paid well and required minimal output (but those jobs don’t exist, do they?) or a football coach. RL: I’d be the opposite to Jamie Oliver, because he always said that if he wasn’t a chef, he’d be a carpenter. I’ve always thought if I wasn’t a carpenter, I’d be a chef. But I’d probably eat most of the food, so maybe not a good idea. it b h i
It plays a lot of really varied music so anything on the radio is good for us. But probably any song by Queen gets the guys going. 3 What’s the strangest request you’ve ever received from a client? AS: We once had this super wealthy client who bought seven baths. They’d sit in one and decide they didn’t want it, take it out and buy another. These weren’t baths costing hundreds of pounds, they were thousands of pounds. RL: A client asked us to look after their kids while they popped out. We’d just started the job, literally week one, but the client felt so
at ease with us. To be fair, most of our work comes from recommendations and we know most of our clients. We’re not total strangers, which I guess has an upside and downside. Less strange is when we’ve been asked to keep an eye on an elderly relative or to let the cat out. 4 What’s your dream project? AS: We’re pushing down the sustainable, Passive House route, so any project where clients are engaged with low-carbon, energy-efficient houses. We work in Cornwall and it’s an impressive place. So in terms of location, I
RL: We listen to Fix Radio – The Builders’ Station.
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