HERO
Natural Build Alliance
Build with confidence.
Whether you’re considering hempcrete, straw bale, cob, timber, prefab, an ADU, passive construction, or something entirely different, NBA helps you understand the path from property to project to construction, and how to make your land work for you along the way.
Three questions. One clearer path.
Alternative building gets complicated quickly. NBA organizes the information around the questions that actually matter when you’re trying to build something different.
What Can I Build?
Start with the property. Understand zoning, overlays, site conditions, project types, and the possibilities that need to be investigated before you build.
How Can I Build It?
Explore natural building, high-performance construction, timber, SIPs, modular, prefab, small homes, ADUs, and other approaches.
Who Can Help?
Find builders, designers, consultants, suppliers, code resources, and other professionals who can help move an unconventional project forward.
Explore the ways people are building differently.
“Alternative building” isn’t one thing. NBA brings different construction approaches together so you can understand where each one fits, and what questions come with it.
Straw Bale
Natural insulation and wall systems.
Hempcrete
Bio-based insulation and enclosure systems.
Cob & Earthen
Earthen materials and traditional techniques.
Rammed Earth
Compacted earth wall construction.
Passive / Net-Zero
High-performance envelopes and energy strategies.
SIPs & Panelized
Factory-produced structural building systems.
Timber Frame
Structural timber systems and infill approaches.
Modular & Prefab
Factory-built and flexible construction approaches.
ADUs & Small Homes
Smaller-footprint housing and accessory structures.
Reclaimed Materials
Reuse, salvage, and lower-impact material strategies.
Resource Wells
Turn your property into a source of water, energy, food, and materials.
Explore Other Systems
Compare additional construction approaches and materials.
Turn your property into a resource well.
A resource well is land that gathers, stores, and gives back more than it takes. Instead of treating a lot as a place to put a building, NBA helps you see it as a source of water, energy, food, and building materials, and design the project around those flows.
Catch it. Hold it. Use it.
Slow rain down and keep it on site instead of sending it to the street.
- Roof catchment & cisterns
- Swales & rain gardens
- Greywater reuse
- Permeable surfaces
Harvest sun and mass.
Orientation and envelope do the heavy lifting before any equipment does.
- Passive solar siting
- Thermal mass & insulation
- Solar-ready roofs
- Shade & wind planning
Build living ground.
Healthy soil stores water and carbon and grows what you eat.
- Garden beds & orchards
- Composting systems
- Native plantings
- Soil regeneration
Build from the site.
The land and nearby region can supply much of what the building needs.
- Clay & earthen mixes
- Straw & bio-based fibers
- Salvaged lumber & stone
- Local timber
How we help you convert your property.
Most properties don’t need a total rebuild to start acting like a resource well. NBA walks you through a phased approach, so each step pays off on its own and fits your budget, site, and local rules.
Explore Resource Wells- Read the landSlope, sun, soil, drainage, existing trees, and structures. Learn where water already goes and where it could stay.
- Map the flowsTrace water, heat, wind, access, and waste across the site to find the easiest wins.
- Design in layersCombine water, energy, food, and materials strategies with the building system that fits your project.
- Check the requirementsConfirm zoning, permits, health and plumbing rules, and utility requirements before you commit money.
- Phase it and connectStart with earthworks and catchment, then build up. NBA connects you to builders, designers, and suppliers who do this work.
Rules for rainwater collection, greywater, private wells, septic, and on-site energy vary by city, county, and state. Always confirm requirements with your local authorities. NBA information is a starting point for research, not approval or professional advice.
From property to project.
Instead of starting with a material or a contractor, start by understanding the sequence of decisions that shape the project.
Property
Location, zoning, overlays, access, utilities, water, site conditions, and constraints.
Project
New home, ADU, addition, small home, workshop, or another type of project.
Building System
Choose and compare the construction approaches that fit the project.
Requirements
Explore zoning, code, permitting, design, structural, energy, and other requirements.
People
Find the builders, designers, consultants, and resources needed to move forward.
Building differently starts with understanding where you are.
NBA is beginning with Cincinnati and the surrounding Tri-State region, building a practical knowledge base around local zoning, building requirements, construction approaches, and the people doing this work.
The right project needs the right people.
NBA is building a network of professionals and resources around alternative and high-performance construction, not simply another contractor directory.
Builders
Contractors and tradespeople with experience in natural, alternative, high-performance, or unconventional construction.
Builder ResourcesDesigners
Architects and designers who understand how site, materials, performance, code, and construction decisions fit together.
Find Designers & ProfessionalsLocal Resources
Consultants, suppliers, code resources, organizations, and other people who can help answer the questions between idea and construction.
Explore ResourcesDon’t start with a material.
Start with the property.
Understand what you’re trying to build, what the site allows, which building systems make sense, how your land can supply water, energy, and materials, and who can help you move forward.
Start Exploring