What does it take to design a school that actually works for the students and educators inside it?
In this special Education Vanguard panel episode from 21CLHK 2026, host MJ Jimenez of MBKM Group facilitates a compelling panel discussion that brings together architects, designers, and education leaders to explore the future of learning space design.
The conversation features Owen Tam of the Hong Kong Metropolitan University Library, who shares how his team is transforming a traditional library into a dynamic hub integrating gallery, museum, and archival services. Eric Chak, Managing Director and Founder of Envision, brings experience designing international schools and workplace campuses across APAC. Richard Dorkin, an architect trained in the UK with 14 years in Hong Kong, draws on heritage school conversions and inclusive design principles. John Martinson, trained architect and project manager with the Cognitic Group, discusses the realities of converting commercial retail spaces into rich, flexible educational environments.
Key Themes Discussed:
Listening to educators and students as the foundation of great design
Navigating physical constraints in non-traditional learning spaces
Preserving cultural heritage while establishing new institutional identity
Designing corridors, libraries, and breakout zones as active learning environments
Supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and students with special education needs
The shift from knowledge preservation to knowledge creation
Change management as an essential part of any space transformation
Whether you lead a school, design one, or teach in one, this episode offers both the big-picture vision and the on-the-ground reality of what it means to move from passive to proactive learning space design.
Listen on:
Apple Podcast: https://21cl.link/ev-applepod-web
Spotify: https://21cl.link/ev-spotify-web
Youtube: https://21cl.link/ev-yt-web
📌 Learn more about 21CLHK – https://www.21clconf.org/
