Bouchard Insurance

Introduction

Bouchard Insurance, serving southwest and central Florida, has grown into one of the largest independent insurance agencies in the country by operating with a simple philosophy: provide the most appropriate product, at the best rate, with the best possible service. Established in 1948, the company has continuously created a special culture that focuses on an organization-wide “Client First” approach for both commercial and personal insurance needs.

The  Story

With six offices throughout its territory in Florida, the agency moved into corporate headquarters in Clearwater in 1988—in a building constructed in the mid-1970s. Over the years, the 30,000 square-foot, two-story facility came to be in dire need of a complete interior renovation to meet the current and future programmatic needs. The leadership of Bouchard selected Ai Collaborative as the architecture firm for the two-phase renovation. As part of the scope of work, the AiC design team was tasked with updating the men’s and women’s restrooms with a complete materials refresh. For the walls and floors in this busy headquarters, the team sought a material that would allow for efficient installation, ideally by eliminating the need for complete demolition of the existing tiled surfaces in the restrooms. Crossville Porcelain Tile Panels by Laminam proved to be the ideal specification. Offering a contemporary style, thin profile, and ability to be installed directly over a range of existing surfaces, Crossville’s porcelain tile panels offered the technical characteristics and style required for this demanding wall and flooring project—all without the liability of demolition disruptions to the building’s occupants.

Designers selected Crossville’s I Naturali Pietra di Savoia in Perla for all the restroom walls and floors. The 45-degree angles in the floor plan in portions of the restrooms, along with the relatively large format panel size, posed somewhat of a challenge for the installer. However, the challenge was resolved by designing a tile pattern that could be more easily executed by cutting the panels into smaller sizes. The end result is a pattern that still makes the most of the tile panels’ generous outer dimensions, while capturing an aesthetically “clean,” monolithic appearance. The innovative tile installation provided a modern update with appeal—and performance—that is sure to last for years to come.

“As always, we have had very good experiences working with Crossville…, “ explains Donald Whallen, AIA, principal in charge of the project and executive vice president at Ai Collaborative. “Our clients appreciate the quality and aesthetics of the products that we specify.”

Crossville’s porcelain tile panels provided a great solution for covering existing, well-adhered wall and floor tiles. Beyond the advantages of the tile-over-tile installation and look of the tile’s contemporary style, the I Naturali collection offers the building owner even more positives. It provides exceptional strength and performance, as well as ease of maintenance—essential characteristics for surfacing materials that must last and look great doing so in such a busy, high traffic environment.