The Albert Einstein Education and Research Center (AEERC), designed by Safdie Architects, marks a pivotal step in medical education and innovation in Latin America. Located in Morumbi, São Paulo, and adjacent to the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, the AEERC is the first medical school in Brazil to be established by a private hospital. As a project of Sociedade Beneficente Israelita Brasileira Albert Einstein, the building brings together nursing, medical, and graduate education with advanced biomedical research in one unified, flexible facility.
A vaulted oasis of daylight and calm
At the heart of the center is a vaulted, glass-roofed atrium garden that functions as an urban oasis offering respite in the midst of a dense city. Inspired by the canopy of a leafy tree, the atrium’s skylight diffuses sunlight with a custom frit pattern and solar control coating, regulating daylight for both plant growth and human comfort. Safdie Architects collaborated with German contractor Seele and local partners to engineer the multi-layered roof system using advanced modelling to balance glare control, thermal performance, and daylight quality. This earned the building LEED Gold certification.
Connected wings for integrated learning and research
The Center’s programme is split into two wings that flank the atrium. The east wing houses educational spaces including 40 flexible and tech-enabled classrooms, a 400-seat multipurpose auditorium, and labs for anatomy, morphology, and simulation-based learning. The west wing contains state-of-the-art research laboratories for molecular biology, nanotechnology, genomics, microscopy, and gene therapy. Bridges span across the atrium, connecting the two functions and creating informal study zones that encourage collaboration between disciplines.
A bridge to the hospital and the future of healthcare
The AEERC is directly connected to the main Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein via a 57-meter enclosed pedestrian bridge that spans Padre Lebret Avenue. This physical connection symbolises the center’s commitment to an integrated approach to healthcare where education, research, and clinical care are seamlessly intertwined. It allows students and researchers to engage with live clinical environments while fostering innovations that can translate quickly into medical practice.
Team-based learning for a new generation of practitioners
Designed to support 2,000 students across medical, nursing, and graduate programs, AEERC is designed to aid team-based learning. Doctors and nurses train side-by-side in shared classrooms, simulation labs, and clinical mock-ups. Movable partitions and flexible seating layouts allow the reconfiguration of classrooms from small breakout zones to full lecture setups, responding to changing pedagogical needs.
