Architecture Students Design Visions for the Future of the AWO Workshop in Deuz

04.09.2026

Eight bachelor’s and master’s students from the Department of Architecture at the University of Siegen, in collaboration with the AWO district association, have developed designs for a sustainable and inclusive expansion of the AWO workshop in Deuz.

Inklusive Workspace - AWO Deuz - Gruppenfoto

Group photo of the four master's students and AWO staff members in Deuz

Under the guidance of Prof. Michael Lenhart and Dr.-Ing. Katja Marx, the students spent about three months addressing the on-site architectural challenges—ranging from accessibility to acoustics and lighting design to flexible spatial concepts.

The bachelor’s theses were titled “House of the Senses: Expansion of the Siegen Workshops for People with Disabilities,” while the master’s designs were based on the theme “Inclusive Workspace: Revitalization of the Siegen Workshops for People with Disabilities.” The results range from circular structures with glazing and a connecting atrium to interlocking building blocks and were recently presented at the AWO Workshops in Deuz.

Approximately 180 employees, including about 36 people in the intensive support program, could benefit from the new spatial concepts. The designs are intended to serve as a source of inspiration for future planning, not as construction-ready plans. This is already the second collaboration of this kind between the University of Siegen and the AWO district association: a similar project took place 14 years ago.