It was hempcrete I wanted to investigate, this time not laid as pre-dried blocks but poured into solid walls, themselves a kind of hemp-based superblock in a shape and size custom-made for the house. If you’ve read my last post, you’ll know I had already been to a build featuring hempcrete blocks, the advantages of which include the predictability and convenience of pre-dried hempcrete. Here the material is similar, but the method is different. “Poured” is one applicable term. “Cast-in-place” is another.
It was hempcrete I had come to investigate, but I wound up as intrigued by the builders as I was by the build. Owner and architect Natalia Janik introduced me to Robert Mazurek, whose bioconstruction company Nativus approaches the challenges of sustainability a healthy living using methods and models rooted in engineering. I had come to ask questions and take photos, but it turned out that the sample of cellular glass board I happened to have in the trunk of my car was also an item of interest. Apparently, when the time is right, a single event can leave you looking like an expert. If only I hadn’t left that piece of light-as-air basalt rebar at home!
My chat with Robert was illuminating, but the real transformative part came after everyone left and I stayed behind with my camera. Though this wasn’t a paid gig, for a tangle of personal reasons it felt like one. As I framed shots and adjusted settings, the occasion became increasingly like a labor of atonement. That the light on that day was perfect for photos amplified my sense of transcendence. Soft shadows whispered under the low steel-blue sky, goldenrod gleamed without making a sound.
Some successful sessions are challenging in real time—if they produce strong photos those come as a surprise (for a good example see my August post about those hard-to-document Jenny Holzer benches). This experience was the opposite. Time stood still and the light shone silver and every breathtaking shot I composed captured just the sensible splendor I wanted to document. For all my luck and skill that day, though, I still managed to overlook some noteworthy details. The makeshift stairs connecting the floors come to mind, a masterpiece of utilitarian craftsmanship, no matter how temporary.
A good-looking well-built house is always wonderful. But a house mid-build already so harmonious? That feels like a message.
All photos taken by the author on 2026 08 24 using the Fujifilm X-T5 and the 35mm f/1.4 prime (a standard lens equivalent). With thanks to Natalia the architect/owner, Robert (Bob!) the builder, and Łukasz Krzesiak of the award-winning MAK Studio, who first told me about Natalia’s poured hemp house and took it upon himself to make the introductions.