Grenville Mutual Insurance

The Grenville Mutual Insurance headquarters was constructed using insulated Thermomass tilt-up panels and was framed with a sloping structural steel roof. The architect's vision was to create soft, natural elevations that featured an embossed "forest" pattern, accented with natural hand-set stone. The interior open air courtyard carries the forest pattern inward, and allows the user a view of the unique form liner pattern from within the space.

The form liner was produced by Dayton Superior from a simple still image provided by the architect. Two interlocking patterns were generated to provide height and character to the form liner pattern. To add depth and shading, the panels were eventually painted with three soft tones.

Panel forming was challenged by thermal movement of the form liner, due to the changing Canadian spring temperatures and the welding of the plastic form liner sheets. Glues, heat guns, soldering irons, and various silicons were used to fuse the sheets together. Each had benefits and setbacks. In the end, a simple barbecue charcoal electric burner was the ideal tool to melt the sheets together.