Jonny Braithwaite
Founder and Classically Trained Stonemason

I was born and raised in a small town in Northern England and graduated high school at 16 years old. Shortly after, I began a stonemason apprenticeship with a traditional craft stonemason, and specialized in historical restoration (buildings built in the 1600s). I spent several years with him, learning how to build and restore all kinds of masonry structures, both by hand and with power tools. After my apprenticeship, I went to Burnley Construction College and received a City and Guilds in Trowels Occupations certificate (equivalent to a Journeyman Bricklayer in the U.S.). I owned a small construction company that specialized in new residential projects using brick and natural stone before joining the British Army to serve as a Royal Engineer. I served for five years with two tours in Afghanistan, as well as many other countries, working as a mason and combat engineer. After serving, I moved to the U.S. where I've worked in a variety of landscaping specialties: hardscapes, hydroseeding, lawn and garden care, irrigation, lighting, and wood structures. 

With J Built, my goal is to create custom outdoor spaces that are thoughtfully designed and created with high quality craftsmanship; to provide exceptional service to my clients as we bring their vision to life; and to foster a working environment where experts can facilitate learning, creativity and pride within the team.  

In my personal life, I've always been one to innovate and creatively change my environment, which has led me to hobbies such as woodworking, beer brewing, and overall home renovation. My most recent home project was designing and building kitchen cabinets from scratch, creating a functional, beautiful, and personalized space for my wife and daughters. When I'm not working, I enjoy spending time outdoors, exploring what the Northwest has to offer, including skiing Mt. Hood, climbing Mt. St Helens, rafting the White Salmon river and a bunch of other fun stuff...