Each month Architect, a sister publication to the Journal of Light Construction, explores the historical applications of building materials and systems through resources from the Building Technology Heritage Library (BTHL), an online collection of AEC catalogs, brochures, trade publications, and more.
This month, Mike Jackson, FAIA, looks back at insulation, revealing the roots of many of the insulation products we use today … and many we no longer want anything to do with.
The Book of Triple Insulated Homes, Johns-Manville Co., New York, 1937
The “triple insulated home” featured a variety of Johns-Manville products that had improved durability and fire resistance because they were made of asbestos. The wall cavities of this hypothetical house were filled with rock wool insulation while the roof and walls featured asbestos-cement shingles.