What Solterre Design does

Solterre Design is a privately held sustainable architecture firm headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, founded over three decades ago by Jennifer Corson and Keith Robertson. The firm delivers high-performance architectural design services spanning residential projects (single-family homes, multi-unit residential, additions, deep energy retrofits) and commercial/institutional projects (offices, libraries, theatres, healthcare facilities, educational buildings), with deep specialization in Passive House (Passivhaus) design, LEED and Green Globes certification consulting, off-grid systems, passive solar design, and net-zero energy construction. Solterre has consulted on more than 70 LEED or Green Globes certified projects across Atlantic Canada and holds several regional and national firsts, including the first Platinum LEED for Homes in Atlantic Canada (Bullard House) and the first certified commercial Passive House in Canada (Valley Waste Resource Management Office).

The firm generates revenue through professional architecture design fees negotiated on a project-by-project basis, with go-to-market driven by referrals, professional networks, awards recognition, and a project portfolio website. Its primary customer segments include residential property owners, commercial and institutional clients, green building certification seekers, and government/public sector entities. In a significant restructuring, Solterre's green building consulting division merged with Equilibrium Engineering to combine LEED/Passive House expertise with energy modeling and mechanical/electrical engineering, while the architectural firm remains independent and partners with Equilibrium for integrated sustainable projects. The firm also maintains an affiliated real estate development entity, Marterra Inc., positioning Solterre to capture value beyond pure design services in green-minded development.

Operating from a single office at 3008 Oxford St. in Halifax, Solterre serves a primarily Atlantic Canada market with select international engagements, employing approximately 14 green architecture professionals led by Nova Scotia's first LEED-accredited professional. The firm's value proposition rests on integrated design expertise, third-party validated certifications, and three decades of project execution that smaller entrants would struggle to replicate at regional scale.

Name

Solterre Design

Legal name

Solterre Design

Website

https://solterre.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Solterre Design is a Halifax-based sustainable architecture firm specializing in Passive House, LEED-certified, and net-zero building design for residential, commercial, institutional, and government clients across Atlantic Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Architecture Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Sustainable architecture services
• Passive house design
• LEED certification consulting
• Deep energy retrofits
• Green building consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Halifax, Nova Scotia

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Professional architectural design services for residential and commercial/institutional projects, including schematic design through project completion. Revenue generated through design fees based on project scope and complexity.
2. Green Building Consulting: Sustainability consulting services for LEED, Green Globes, and Zero Carbon Building certification. Includes energy modeling, integrated design process facilitation, and certification support. Following merger with Equilibrium Engineering, this practice now operates under Equilibrium's umbrella while Solterre architecture remains independent.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Solterre Design is a sustainable architecture firm providing high-performance architectural design services for residential, commercial, institutional, and cultural buildings. Core offerings include Passive House (Passivhaus) design, LEED and Green Globes certification consulting, deep energy retrofits, off-grid building design, and net-zero energy building projects. The firm integrates green building consulting with architectural design across Atlantic Canada and select international projects.

Product overview

Solterre Design is a sustainable architecture firm offering high-performance architectural design services. The company operates as a unified practice with interconnected service offerings: High Performance Architecture forms the core philosophy and technical foundation, under which the firm delivers Residential Design projects (single-family homes, renovations, Passive House builds) and Commercial/Institutional Design projects (offices, theatres, community facilities). Green Building Consulting, now merged with Equilibrium Engineering, provides certification facilitation for LEED, Green Globes, and Zero Carbon Building standards. The firm is particularly known for Passive House (Passivhaus) design expertise, off-grid living solutions, and net-zero energy building projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• High Performance Architecture Services Solterre's primary architectural service offering focused on sustainable, energy-efficient design. It encompasses Passive House design, energy retrofits, off-grid projects, and LEED certification consulting, spanning residential, commercial, and institutional building types.
• Residential Design Award-winning residential architecture services including new construction, deep energy retrofits, historic restorations, and sustainable residential projects for single-family and multi-unit residential buildings.
• Commercial / Institutional Design Architectural design services for commercial buildings, institutional facilities, and community spaces including theatres, libraries, offices, and educational facilities.
• Green Building Consulting Sustainability consulting services for LEED, Green Globes, and Zero Carbon Building certifications. Includes energy modelling, Passive House certification facilitation, integrated design process support, and technical oversight for building projects. The consulting practice now operates under Equilibrium Engineering following the merger of Solterre's green building consulting team.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70-90% less energy consumption compared to conventional buildings through Passive House standards
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Equilibrium EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolterre Design's green building consulting team merged with Equilibrium Engineering, combining Solterre's expertise in LEED certification, Passive House design, and integrated green architecture with Equilibrium's energy modeling, renewable energy, and mechanical engineering capabilities. The merger creates a comprehensive sustainable building team while Solterre's architectural practice remains independent.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• HOK: Global architecture firm delivering sustainable civic, education, healthcare, cultural, and commercial buildings. It serves overlapping customer segments and competes for technically demanding design mandates, but at a materially larger scale.
• WSP: Global professional-services firm with architecture, engineering, energy, and building-performance practices. It competes for many of the same complex public, institutional, and commercial sustainability mandates but has a much broader service portfolio.
• Stantec: Global design and engineering firm providing architecture, building performance, energy, and sustainability services. It overlaps materially with Solterre in green building design and institutional clients but operates at substantially greater scale.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture and design practice with extensive sustainability, education, healthcare, and civic-project expertise. It is comparable to Solterre in high-performance building design, although its resources and geographic reach are much larger.

Direct peers

• Dialog: Canadian multidisciplinary design practice combining architecture, engineering, and urban design. Its integrated building-design model and public-sector orientation are comparable to Solterre's architectural and sustainability offerings.
• Architecture 49: Canadian architecture and design practice serving public, institutional, commercial, and residential clients. It is comparable in project types, project delivery, and exposure to Canadian procurement and design markets.
• mcCallumSather: Canadian architecture and design firm known for sustainable institutional, civic, commercial, and residential work. Its high-performance design focus and Canadian project base make it closely comparable to Solterre.
• Farrow Partners: Canadian architecture practice with expertise in sustainable, low-carbon, Passive House, and net-zero design. It is directly comparable to Solterre's technical positioning and project-based architectural model.

Regional players

• Equilibrium Engineering: Nova Scotian engineering and building-performance consultancy whose acquisition of Solterre's green consulting team creates direct overlap in energy modelling, certification, and sustainable building services. It is a particularly relevant regional comparison because it now contains capabilities previously housed within Solterre.

Emerging players

• RDH Building Science: Niche building-science consultancy specializing in energy performance, building enclosures, and retrofits. It overlaps with Solterre's deep-energy retrofit and high-performance building capabilities, although it is not a full-service architecture practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/solterre-design

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Solterre Design