HOSPITAL ARCHITECTURE AND THE COLLECTIVE PROCESS IN THE WORK OF IRINEU BREITMAN

Abstract

The debate on authorship in architecture has traditionally been marked by the valorization of the architect as a singular author, responsible for shaping works inscribed within an established canon. However, complex typologies, such as hospital buildings, reveal that architectural design results from an active network of knowledge, in which multiple agents take part in the spatial definition process. This article investigates the design practice of Irineu Breitman from this perspective, employing a comparative and documentary method grounded in the cross-analysis of graphic, textual, and iconographic sources in dialogue with his professional trajectory. The aim is to understand how his body of work can be interpreted as an expression of a collective and interdisciplinary process of architectural conception, revealing patterns that contribute to the understanding of Brazilian hospital architecture. The findings point to the identification of three recurring pillars—extensive contextual research, functional and sensitive modular structuring, and interdisciplinary collaboration—which highlight the collective and methodological character of Breitman’s design process.