BOISE - Most modern home construction projects use a combination of common materials including wood, concrete, and brick. A home being built in an East Boise neighborhood is not so different, except for a not-so-common building material - straw.
Instead of using traditional fiberglass insulation, Mark Lung is using straw bales to help keep the home cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Lung, the builder and future resident of the home at 1312 E. Franklin Street, says straw bale houses are sustainable and will save the homeowner a lot of money.
"It's cheaper to build, the heating and cooling costs are ten times less than a normal home," Lung said. "It's sustainable, you are using a waste product (and) supporting local farmers."
200 straw bales will be delivered from Eagle Saturday morning, just in time for the build. Lung says community members are welcome to help out with the construction project. The build party takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.