He is noted for his contemporary and embracing minimalism design[1] of residential, commercial, educational, industrial and civic buildings, and for his fight against the monotonous and dreary architecture of the communist era.

In 1969 he graduated with a master's degree in architecture from Kraków University of Technology,[5][6] subsequently obtaining the professional qualifications to practice under the title 'architect'.

[5] In 1969 he joined the Regional Municipal Building Company in Sosnowiec, but two years later began working for a large architectural firm Investprojekt in Katowice.

[9] Between 1991 and 1996 Jurkowski was a senior lecturer at Kraków University of Technology and in the years 1992-1998 and 2003-2006 the chairman of the Regional Commission for Urban Planning and Architecture in Katowice[5] He was also appointed a member of Poland’s General Commission for Urban Planning and Architecture in Warsaw[5][3] and he played a significant role in creating the Act of 15 December 2000 on professional self-governing bodies for architects.

In 2013 he was nominated for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture / Mies van der Rohe Award for the Home Army Museum in Kraków[1].