Founded in 2000, Sollertia is a consulting company specialising in the implementation of high-performance technical textiles aimed at creativity and innovation in the field of lightweight tensioned membrane structures for sustainable technical and architectural applications. Our multidisciplinary team members assist our clients in achieving their vision by providing personalized services throughout the projects.

Our expertise extends from the design to the implementation of tailor-made solutions, including plans and specifications, prototyping and testing, project management, installation, dismantling, as well as all maintenance and repair operations.

We can take charge of a project from its conception to its completion or work in co-creation and offer our technical and creative support to professional teams of architects, designers or engineers and provide them with the information and recommendations necessary for technical and financial planning, decision-making and the effective implementation of all types of textile architecture projects.

In the fall of 2017, we opened our state-of-the-art canvas manufacturing facility, allowing us to develop innovative solutions and ensure consistent quality control on production. We also specialize in the installation and maintenance of temporary or permanent textile structures and have an experienced team of more than 25 technicians trained to work at heights. We are continually developing new, more efficient and environmentally friendly maintenance methods to meet the needs of our customers.

We are known for our ability to meet the unique creative challenges of highly complex projects and to meet our commitments.

An entrepreneur with an innovative spirit, Claude Le Bel created Sollertia in 2000. The arrival of Nathalie Lortie in 2003 gave a real boost to the company’s activities in the textile architecture industry. Coming from very different fields and possessing complementary personalities, they combine their passion and skills to carry out bold projects that exceed their clients’ expectations.

Convinced of the wide range of possibilities offered by technical textiles in sustainable architectural and technical applications, they work to make materials and processing techniques known to as many people as possible and to push the limits of innovation in the field. Many of their achievements are recognized in the field of textile architecture in Canada and abroad, as evidenced by the many awards of excellence they have received.

The many diverse talents who have since joined them carry out exceptional projects that systematically aim to satisfy both customers and users. Together, they make Sollertia a committed and dynamic company.

Claude Le Bel has been working in the field of lightweight tensioned structures for more than 35 years. He was the first technician hired by Cirque du Soleil in 1984, and served as technical and logistics director and chief assembler until 1992. Promoted to specialist in textile structures for the development of international markets, he was also a trainer for the “Tents” teams. With this expertise, he created Sollertia in 2000 and has since developed a unique know-how. Master in major project management, his limitless ingenuity and his complete mastery of textile structure techniques allow him to find innovative solutions to the most complex projects. Concerned about the well-being of the team members, he ensures synergy between talents so that Sollertia is on the front lines to successfully meet the greatest challenges.

Nathalie Lortie holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Université de Montréal (1993) and has worked for various architectural firms in Montreal and in Europe, specialising in the design and implementation of highly diversified projects characterised by their creativity and the desire to create meaningful places. Her rich professional experience allows her to approach projects from a unique perspective. Lead Designer and project manager at Sollertia for more than 15 years, she masters all aspects of the implementation of textile structures, from ideation to visual and technical design, and from design to complete realisation. Involved in all phases of implementation, she is responsible for customer relations, project design and quality control, and ensures the complete achievement of set objectives. Her great sensitivity, together with her creativity and aspiration for innovation have enabled her to design textile projects and structures with a unique and remarkable aesthetic signature.

Our multidisciplinary team combines creativity and technical expertise to create sensitive, stimulating and beauty-generating places that convey our client’s vision. We produce resistant and durable textile structures that promote the well-being of users and improve environmental performance. We work in co-creativity with our clients and professional teams to make projects a success in both design and planning.

Through its lightness, low material density and performance, textile architecture contributes to a sustainable construction approach:

• Tensioned architectural membrane structures represent a type of lightweight construction that allows large areas to be covered without requiring as much material as traditional construction methods (material savings and reduced transportation needs).
• Textile structures are prefabricated in our workshop, which reduces construction waste and reduces carbon footprint while improving quality.
• Architectural membranes offer different levels of translucency and light permeability to maximize natural lighting inside buildings and reduce the use of electric lighting.
• Acoustic membranes make it possible to create places of comfort, while offering great creative freedom in terms of architectural forms.
• Light-coloured architectural membranes reflect solar radiation and reduce heat gain inside buildings. Used as façade cladding, these membranes reduce the need for air conditioning and therefore the operating costs of a building.
• Flexible photovoltaic cells can be applied to architectural membranes to produce energy.
• PVC and ETFE membranes are recyclable.
• ETFE film offers almost the same transparency as glass but is much lighter. This reduces the size and number of structural support elements. An ETFE structure represents 1% of the weight of a similar glass structure.
• Textile structures can be relocated and reused if they are designed for this purpose.
• Flexible composite materials are high-performance and resistant and have an increased longevity.
• Solid or micro-perforated membranes (mesh) can create shade areas while limiting or preventing the passage of UV rays, as required.

Sollertia was part of the first cohort of the Parcours Développement durable Montréal . This program offers a one-year coaching program to find innovative solutions and implement sustainable and inspiring business models, thus bringing value to the entire company.

On March 14, 2019, Sollertia received its first ÉCORESPONSABLE certification.