Award-winning Hubo Studio opens PULSE 2026 with a keynote on schools as mini-cities and captivates international education leaders with an innovative AI-powered design workshop.
Award-winning South African educational architecture practice Hubo Studio has returned from PULSE 2026, an international gathering of educators, innovators, architects and policymakers in Indore, India, where the studio delivered the opening in-person keynote and led an interactive workshop that received extraordinary praise from conference organisers.
Bringing together educational thinkers from Japan, Finland, India, Australia, Malaysia and beyond, the conference, organised by the Global Learning Space Network (GLSN), explored the future of education under the theme Where Culture Meets Learning.
For Hubo Studio, the event marked a significant milestone in its growing international presence, placing South African educational architecture at the centre of a global conversation about how schools can transform children’s lives.
A Global Gathering of Educational Thought Leaders
The significance of PULSE 2026 was reflected in its international speaker programme, which included prominent figures in education, research and learning environment design.
The programme featured Hannu Haarala, Chair of the Finnish Learning Environments Association (LEAF), and Markku Lang, its Vice Chair; Dr Fiona Young, an Australian architect and researcher specialising in learning environments; and Dr Reiko Shimokura of Japan’s Meijo University.
The programme also included a digital presentation, Becoming Human, by Kevin Bartlett, Director of Education at Education Design International.
A notable development was the unveiling of a collaboration between GLSN and Finland’s LEAF, alongside the launch of Nordic learning environments research, reinforcing the growing international commitment to connecting educational thinking with architectural innovation.
Against this backdrop, Hubo Studio delivered the opening in-person keynote, bringing its distinctive South African perspective to an international audience.
Schools as Mini-Cities: A New Vision for Education
Hubo Studio founder and lead architect Asher Marcus, together with educational strategist Dr Embeth van der Wal, presented School as a Mini City, challenging delegates to fundamentally reconsider the role of architecture in education.
The keynote explored how schools can move beyond conventional classrooms and corridors to become vibrant ecosystems of discovery, connection, independence and wonder.
Drawing on Reggio Emilia-inspired educational principles, Marcus demonstrated how architecture can actively shape the learning experience, creating environments that encourage curiosity, collaboration, wellbeing and a sense of belonging.
“If we imagine schools as mini-cities, we see them changing, becoming templates for innovation, growth and the wellbeing of a child. Schools have the potential to become the greatest spaces a child can experience in the world,” said Marcus.
Central to this philosophy is the belief that architecture should not simply accommodate education, but actively participate in it.
Schools can become miniature cities, with public squares, neighbourhoods, landscapes, collaborative spaces and opportunities for spontaneous exploration that reflect the richness and complexity of the world beyond their boundaries.
For Marcus, the ambition is to move educational architecture beyond the design of buildings and towards the creation of environments that actively contribute to the development of every child.
Capture the Feeling: Where Imagination Meets Artificial Intelligence
Following the keynote, Hubo Studio led its Capture the Feeling workshop, bringing together international educators and delegates in an immersive, highly collaborative exploration of the future of learning environments.
Rather than beginning with floor plans, buildings or traditional design briefs, the workshop challenged participants to consider a more fundamental question:
How should a school make us feel?
Through visual exploration, storytelling, collaboration and artificial intelligence, participants investigated how emotions, values and aspirations could be translated into meaningful architectural concepts.
AI became a creative partner, helping participants visualise possibilities, challenge assumptions and communicate ideas across cultural and professional boundaries.
The workshop generated exceptional energy, creativity and participation, demonstrating the power of bringing educators directly into the architectural design process.
It also showcased Hubo Studio’s distinctive approach to co-creation, establishing a shared language between education and architecture that begins with human experience rather than physical form.
“You Made a Difference to So Many Lives”
The impact of Hubo Studio’s contribution was recognised by Akshay Bajaj, co-founder of PULSE and the Global Learning Space Network, who praised both the keynote and the workshop experience.
“You went beyond our expectations. I knew you would be the rock stars of our stage from day one, but the way you conducted the workshop was just wow. Everyone was amazed by the energy and the way you handled the interactions with people. It was super fun and awesome,” said Bajaj.
“You made a difference to so many lives here in India, and they will all remember you forever.”
The response highlighted the ability of Hubo’s approach to move beyond conventional architectural presentations and create genuine engagement with educators, enabling participants to become active contributors to the future of educational design.
For Dr Embeth van der Wal, the experience was equally profound.
Having recently completed her doctorate in education at just 30 years old, Van der Wal represents a new generation of educational thinkers challenging conventional approaches to teaching, learning and the environments in which education takes place.
Her work at Hubo Studio bridges educational research and architectural design, helping translate the science of how children learn into spaces that actively support their development.
“This one was a life changer. The people, the conversations, the openness to new ideas and the collective ambition to rethink education were extraordinary. We came away inspired, energised and thinking bigger than ever.” Dr van der Wal
South African Innovation on the Global Stage
Hubo Studio’s participation in PULSE 2026 follows a period of significant international recognition for the Johannesburg-based practice.
Its landmark Redhill Early Learning Centre received the World Architecture Festival’s Best Use of Natural Light award in 2025, alongside recognition as Educational Build of the Year at the SCAPE Awards.
In 2026, the project secured two prestigious Architizer A+Awards, including Jury Winner in the Kindergarten category and Popular Choice Winner for Educational Interiors.
These achievements have contributed to Hubo Studio’s growing international profile, with the practice increasingly involved in educational projects and collaborations across South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The studio’s approach integrates educational strategy, architectural innovation and collaborative design, grounded in the belief that the physical environment has the potential to profoundly influence how children learn, connect and grow.
Through its work, Hubo Studio continues to challenge conventional thinking about schools, advocating for learning environments that nurture independence, curiosity, creativity and human development.
PULSE 2026 provided an international platform to demonstrate that these principles resonate across different educational systems, cultures and communities.
“Across different cultures, countries and educational systems, we share one powerful ambition: to create a better world for our children through education,” said Marcus.
“The future of education isn’t something we wait for. It’s something we imagine, design and build together.”
