Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1477248
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 | 11 Building Envelope P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y FO R M I N N OVAT I O N S I N C .; H U N T S M A N B U I L D I N G S O LU T I O N S construction time. "My co-founder, Ray Paiement, who has over 35 years as a construction and struc- tural repair specialist, developed the PCF over the last several years in response to seeking a bet- ter way to make highly insulated walls," says Jenn Billesberger, founder/director at FORM. Each PCF block is 48-inches (") wide by 12" high with an 8" cavity for concrete. The polyurethane sidewall is 2-feet, achieving an effective R value of R31. FORM's PCF PolarBlock was recently chosen as one of the solutions to rebuild fire-ravaged Lytton, B.C., due to ease of construction and extreme cli- mate resilience. "Another advantage of our PCF block is that it is made of polyurethane with a soy-based formulation and zero-ozone depleting blowing agent, not expanded polystyrene, so it's much better for the environment," Billesberger says. For Lytton, PolarBlock was one of four envelope solutions chosen to be the most climate resilient and sustainable solution (the envelopes also had to meet BC Energy Code Step 5 requirements), and the rebuild is being led by the Kanaka Bar Indian Band, the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), and teams from Okanagan College, Foresight Canada, and Seko Construction. FORM is developing another innovation: a mobile production line that can be placed onsite for use in remote construction areas, northern housing, disas- ter relief, or overseas housing construction. "We're working towards a prototype being ready in the near future; other advantages of such a platform include solving supply chain and shipping constraints," Billesberger says. Huntsman Building Solutions (HBS) is a well-known innovator in the realm of building envelopes, and Maxime Duzyk, director of building science and engineering, shares his thoughts about the sector in 2022. "Awareness continues to grow for Installation of D-Max Wall assembly. PCF PolarBlock