Albert Einstein Education and Research Center

A vaulting glass roof provides natural light and features a unique membrane system that filters light and sound to create a relaxed, welcoming environment. Common meeting areas and open circulation balconies surround the beautiful indoor landscape.

Plantings of native Brazilian flora provide more than decorative beauty and fresh air — they are designed as an anchor and focal point for the two main wings which branch into active spaces and include an auditorium, restaurant, classrooms and laboratories. The building program includes spaces for medical and nursing education, and research laboratories that focus on molecular biology, bioengineering, nanotechnology, and drug research. All users will share the central atrium, along with spaces for collaborative meetings, such as the 400-seat auditorium.

Acentech’s team provided a 3DListening® auralization to support our acoustical design recommendations and to help the project ownership and design team assess design options for the atrium and finalize the critical acoustical design decision of the roof membrane system. The team listened to our model of the space under a range of use conditions including social events, speech presentations, and casual study lounge, including several choices of roof membrane systems. The resulting design creates a relaxing, open sounding environment that resembles an outdoor space, rather than an enclosed reverberant volume. Many different groups and individuals can enjoy this large space at the same time, as they would a public park, without distracting each other with their talking or activity sounds.

Our designs included audiovisual systems for team-based/active learning classrooms, distance learning classrooms, huddle spaces, conference rooms, a large divisible auditorium, and a sound system for an amphitheater in the atrium. The audiovisual systems employ state-of-the-art digital audio and video signal transport via network-based protocols, digitally steerable loudspeakers for the atrium, and classroom capture and web-conferencing. Advanced controls of the auditorium’s audiovisual system functions are provided for the technical operators, for operating the audio and video presentation equipment, as well as a broadcast system that is used for recording, archiving, and streaming events. The auditorium also includes an interpreter booth with the ability to wirelessly broadcast translated audio to personal listening devices to listeners in the space.