Company:
Sollertia Inc. Montreal, QC

Project Details

Fabric 1

OTHER
Producer: Serge Ferrari North America Inc.
Supplier: Serge Ferrari North America Inc.


Architect Name
Charles Philippe Pagé and Héloïse Thibodeau

Architect Company
Héloïse Thibodeau Architecte Inc.

Fabrication Name
Yvan Martin

Fabrication Company
Entreprise Rym

Project Manager Name
Marie-Claude LeBlanc

Project Manager Company
Sollertia Inc.

Installation Name
Claude Le Bel

Installation Company
Sollertia Inc.


Please describe the project specifications

The project involves the realisation of two sculptural walls made of tensioned acoustic membrane panels. The green volume behind the diving boards serves as a contour enhancement for the window and as a means to hide the ventilation system. The volume formed by the side wall panels is presented as a combination of two different geometries, the first as a tapered line along the wall and then as an outwardly protruding angular form. The panels represent a total surface area of 241 square meters. For this project, the Batyline Aw membrane by Serge Ferrari was selected for its technical and visual qualities such as its sound absorption performance, its ability to withstand moist and chlorine environments, its durability and ease of maintenance, and its light and flexible qualities.


What was the purpose of this project? What did the client request?

Built in 1979, the indoor swimming pool of Lavigne High School required complete restoration in order to bring it up to current day standards. It was important for the client to create a pleasant environment where patrons could train and excel. The aim was to provide modern facilities that were compliant with current applicable standards in order to provide an increased level of health and well-being for its users.

Indoor pools are environments where noise level can be very high, thereby detracting from the level of comfort of the users. With this in mind, the architectural firm HTA (Héloïse Thibodeau Architecte Inc.) chose to integrate elements of acoustic membranes into their design in order to reduce excessive noise and reverberation levels. It is with great enthusiasm that we collaborated on this project with the architects, bringing to the table our expertise in membranes by providing technical solutions in line with their needs, and fabricating and installing the various membrane panels.


What is unique or complex about the project?

The geometry of the tensioned membrane walls results in surfaces and edges that possess various angles. Tensioning membranes on this type of asymmetrical volume presents a greater level of difficulty and requires greater precision during the tensioning process of the membranes on the aluminum frames because, of course, the desired aim is always to end up with surfaces that are smooth and visually appealing.

The extremely narrow span around the pool area afforded very little space to maneuver and presented certain challenges during the installation process.


What were the results of the project?

The sculptural volumes created by the tensioned membranes used to dress the walls of the indoor pool present a very dynamic and contemporary face. The pleasant pool area possesses an energetic ambiance that is ideally suited to its young clientele. The Batyline Aw membrane used for the panels is well suited to the extreme conditions of such a humid, hot and chlorinated place while also living up to the acoustic properties desired. These supple composite membranes are effective and an integral part of this state-of-the-art aquatic installation.


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