GREENBELT, Md. -- In a popular children's tale involving three pigs, a wolf easily blew down the house made of straw. In reality, there are buildings made of straw bale that not only withstand the aggravations of nature but also are among the most energy efficient.

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In Greenbelt, a Quaker school made of straw bale is under construction. It looks like a regular building on the outside. The surprise is on the walls inside. Straw from nearby fields has been baled and stacked along the exterior walls providing a natural and superior insulation that's a friend of the Earth.

Builder Mike Furbish's home outside Baltimore is made of straw bale. He likes this type of green building because straw bale doesn't require any manufacturing and doesn't create toxins or waste.

The headmaster of the Friends Community School said the straw bale is placed in the walls like normal insulation, but unlike fiberglass, straw bale is so efficient it has an insulation rating that's above typical building codes.

Once the bales are stacked, they're covered with an adobe type mud mixed on the premises that will provide an airtight seal.

Stewardship is one of the Quakers' religious tenets, and they have been out front in green building, News4's Wendy Rieger reported. The philosophy is that conservation creates harmony.

The Quaker school under construction is green beyond its walls. It's oriented on the land and curved so it can follow the arch of the sun and get light all day long -- a technique called passive solar. It will have a green roof, waterless urinals and radiant floor heating, which uses less energy. The students will maintain the surrounding wetlands.

During construction, the debris is being carefully sorted and recycled.

Straw-bale construction is not new. There is a straw-bale building in Florida that's about 100 years old. In Europe, there are straw-bale homes that have been around more than 200 years.

More Information:

• Furbish Company
• U.S. DOE: Energy Efficiency And Renewable Energy
• Friends Community School