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Object Timeline

  • We acquired this object.

2008

  • Work on this object began.

2013

  • Work on this object ended.

2016

2025

  • You found it!

Ghonsla Insulation Panels

This is a Project. It was designed by Ghonsla and manufactured by Packages. It is dated 2008–2013. Its medium is straw, paper sludge (byproduct of paper and board manufacturing), paper liner, paint, plaster, embossed pvc sheets or jute.

Corrugated-metal roofs are ubiquitous—it is estimated that close to a billion people today live under them in urban informal settlements and disaster-affected areas. The poor thermal performance of the corrugated metal, however, makes dwellings uncomfortable in most weather. Ghonsla’s low-cost panels, developed in Lahore, Pakistan, are designed for installation under existing corrugated-metal roofs. Ghonsla (“nest” in Urdu) panels, which are durable and lightweight, feature core insulation made from straw and sludge from the paper industry blended with water. The panels reduce heating costs and decrease indoor air pollution, resulting in healthier indoor environments.

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<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://www-4.collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/420778925/ |title=Ghonsla Insulation Panels |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=11 February 2025 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>