So what have you guys heard about the Boise Castle? I grew up on that side of town (just a few streets away) and as soon as I saw it going up I knew the locals were not going to like it. I actually think itʼs pretty cool for several reasons. First- itʼs owned by a local entrepreneur and I like to see local people doing big things. Second, it has some cool green building things going on inside and third it uses some great local Boise resources.
Owner Tim Barber was interested in both saving money and using local, natural resources. Barber uses the hot water (and itʼs geothermal energy) that runs underneath his property to heat his floor boards. Using this local water saves on energy costs up to 80%. We all know energy efficient homes are all the rage right now and this guy took it to the next level. Not to mention stepping onto a warm floor in the morning feels pretty good.
Another thing that is cool about this house is the exterior stone. Ninety percent of the home is made of Table Rock sandstone. The beautiful stone was quarried right in Boise by Gerhard Barbous Landscaping. Talk about keeping it local. Although not everything in the home is from Boise, many of itʼs components are Made in Idaho including the foam insulation which was supplied by a McCall company.
Ok so when youʼre at your company Christmas party and the Boise Castle comes up in conversation, hereʼs what you need to know:
– It is built just outside of the Warm Springs Historic District so itʼs not breaking any rules
– Itʼs 5,800 square feet and that main tower is 35 feet above grade
– Itʼs tax assesment is just under half a million dollars
– HGTV, Discovery Channel and CBS news have already filmed segments in the Castle
– It has a portcullus (giant spiked gate that can be raised and lowered) crafted by local company JayMark
– The portcullus doesnʼt close for liability reasons
– Most indoor wood is recycled from old homes and barns in the East Coast
– I think itʼs cool
– Iʼll be trick or treating there for sure
There is a lot of information out there on this castle. I pulled my info from the website boisecastle.com check it out for more information and some great pictures of the castle during construction and after completion.