Excellent teaching and excellent applied research are the hallmarks of HS OWL. At its locations in Lemgo, Detmold, Höxter and at the Warburg site, the university promotes a healthy working and studying atmosphere for all members of the university, thereby ensuring a balance between professional, student and private life. At its three sites Lemgo, Detmold, Höxter and at its Warburg location the university offers a total of 44 courses in the Bachelor and Master programs. With more than 6.700 students and over 500 staff, the university also plays a significant economic role in the region.
HS OWL offers outstanding teaching, consistently combining the scientific aspect of studying with a course-specific professional qualification. It introduces special measures to be able to consistently hit this target and to build on its reputation for excellent, practice-orientated teaching. The focus is on increasing teacher and student motivation and on promoting satisfaction in teaching and learning. This is an important base for securing a strong competitive standing. The research strength at HS OWL is shown in its excellent applied research, by which the university has secured a top position nationally, and in its specialist research areas, which are recognised internationally. Our future strategy is directed towards interdisciplinary research. As one of the scientific pillars of the Technology-Network “Intelligent Technical Systems Ostwestfalen-Lippe – it’s OWL”, the university is working on the implementation of a cluster strategy in order to strengthen its competitive position in the region.
The two equivalent pillars, teaching and research are tightly networked on campus. A more cohesive approach is being taken via the planned uptake of research topics into basic subjects and the stronger involvement of students both in research projects and at the application stage and the practical orientation of various teaching formats. To intensify our co-operation with local companies, and in conjunction with them, the university will provide an additional area for teaching, research and development in the shape of a “Science to Business Center” on the Lemgo campus.
Each location has certain special courses:
LEMGO:
In Lemgo (5 faculties) the classical engineering disciplines (production, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and information technology) are complemented by new courses such as media production, timber processing technology, or economics. And, unique to North Rhine-Westphalia, food technology.
DETMOLD:
Detmold (2 faculties) has won national recognition for its planning and design disciplines. The interior design course is the largest in Germany and the international master courses (IFDC and MCDC) are on offer only here in North Rhine-Westphalia. Detmold campus is unique in Germany for combining all spatial planning disciplines from interior design over architecture to city planning and civil engineering on one location.
HÖXTER:
Höxter (2 faculties) has made a name for itself as a location where environmental aspects play a central part in technical courses, both in teaching and in applied research. This applies to the unique landscape architecture in North Rhine-Westphalia as well as for environmental engineering.
WARBURG:
With the establishment of the Warburg site, the university combines its economic expertise with ecological topics. The business economics course for small and medium-sized companies combines a primarily business course with questions of sustainable and energy-efficient production and the use of current information technology.
In the area of teaching, the university sees its task, on the one hand to offer courses directly relevant to the regional economy – especially in the form of the “dual” study course. The university is striving for the expansion and further development of its course program, including the areas of life-long-learning and consecutive courses.
From the very beginning the courses prepare for the student’s future vocation. They lay the foundation for a career. Practical orientation during the course itself is the educational hallmark of HS OWL. The university has laboratories with the latest equipment appropriate to each subject area. Thanks to our well-established links with industry, we have no problem in finding work placements and opportunities to do final dissertations. The university places great emphasis on a comprehensive education for its students, on providing a qualification which will give students the skills to succeed at their future workplace. In order to further embed this aim within its curricula and its didactical strategies, the university entered two project applications in the nationwide competition “More Quality in Teaching” and came out successful. We now have a firm base on which to further develop our hallmark of excellent teaching.
The Detmold School of Architecture and Interior Architecture is nationally and internationally known. The program of Interior Architecture is the largest in Germany - probably in Europe. Together with the german/english speaking consecutive master programs of "Architecture" and "Interior Architecture" the department has approximately 70 students. Detmold has an extensive network of partner universities in Europa and worldwide, it is strongly rooted in the wider region through numerous collaborations in research and design with industry, institutions and governmental authorities and institutions. The universities supporting workforces skim and KOM provide an excellent knowhow and infrastructure for innovative e-learning formats, didactics and educational approaches.
All Master programs are closely linked to the three research focuses (RF) where applied research in collaboration with regional, national and international institutions and business companies takes place. Several laboratories, devices and technical equipment are available to monitor and evaluate the performance of existing spaces and buildings and to evaluate user behaviour and user satisfaction (www.hs-owl.de/fb1/forschung).
RF ConstructionLab:
The main goal is the further development of materials and products and it´s possible applications in architecture and interior architecture. The research projects are carried out in close cooperation with renowned industrial partners. A strong focus lies in the development of materials and building skins. A special collaboration exists with the professional master IFDC (International Facade Design and Construction) and MCDC (Master Computational Design and Construction).
RF PerceptionLab:
The research focus lies in the determination through observation, analysis and assessment of human spatial perception to empirical facts. Through applied research we achieve improvements of products, spaces and environments.
RF urbanLab:
Reads societal, cultural and spatial processes: from this reading it distils their importance for future spatial developments of cities, regions and buildings. Urban lab works in an interdisciplinary way, combining architecture, urban-planning, landscape-architecture, civil engineering and city economics...
Teaching and research approaches are closely connected and based on the concept of human-centered design and universal design to improve the wellbeing in interior and exterior spaces. Simulation, evaluation and monitoring of buildings and spaces are essential part as a form of evidence based design. The specialised expertise on typology versus conversion has been integral part of the curriculum in architecture over the last 5 years.