Construction of the makerspace in Zittau
The first set-up day and thus the starting signal for a creative learning space on campus was successfully carried out and the next steps defined.
On December 12, 2024, the first setup day for the new makerspace took place on the Zittau campus. More than 20 students and staff members from the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (HSZG) worked together to develop initial ideas for the design of this innovative learning space and drew up concrete plans for its implementation.
The Makerspace on the Zittau campus is designed as an open workshop. Here, tools, materials, and the expertise of HSZG students and staff will be made available to anyone interested. The goal is to promote creative experimentation, collaborative work, and project-based learning.
Through collaboration with regional clubs and educational institutions, extracurricular STEM education will also be strengthened. In combination with the Green Classroom, new teaching and learning opportunities are being developed that will make the Zittau campus a more attractive place to spend time. A planned outdoor facility for university sports combines recreational activities such as sports and relaxation with aspects of lifelong learning.
By establishing the makerspace, Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences aims to create an innovative learning environment that offers high school and college students a wide range of opportunities to put their creative ideas into practice. Even during the development phase, students and staff at the university are actively involved to foster the growth of a community and ensure that the makerspace is designed to meet actual needs.
”Professor Keil, Vice President for Education and International Affairs at HSZG, further emphasizes: "This extracurricular learning space will not only teach technical skills but also strengthen competencies such as creative thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork. For students, the makerspace will offer new learning experiences beyond traditional classroom instruction: a place to experiment, make mistakes, and learn from them. In this way, the makerspace becomes a space where learning and innovation go hand in hand and where opportunities for the future are created—for our students, the regional economy, and beyond.”
Results from the First Setup Day
The first setup day provided a valuable opportunity to actively involve HSZG students and staff in the planning process. Together, they developed design concepts, defined specific needs, and captured ideas in sketches. The focus was on requirements for workspaces, equipment, and technical infrastructure.
Proposals discussed included equipping the space with laser cutters, 3D printers, an embroidery machine, and a soldering corner. The operating software should be particularly user-friendly. Other topics included lockers for personal projects, a materials storage area, and workstations with dual monitors for design work. A cozy seating area with sofas and small tables was also requested.
Regarding infrastructure, suggestions were discussed regarding electrical outlets and flexible room layout. A movie screen and a coffee machine received broad approval. Opinions differed on the installation of a kitchen.
The first day of setup also served to inform students about the advertised position as a student assistant in the Makerspace.
Students can submit an application for the position of student assistant at the Makerspace until January 17, 2025. The contact person is Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Egmont Schreiter, who can be reached by email at E.Schreiter@hszg.de or by phone at 03583 612-4857.
The first set-up day made it clear how valuable the joint exchange is for the design of a creative and practice-oriented place of learning and laid an important foundation for the next steps in setting up the makerspace on the campus in Zittau.
Our next steps
The feedback will be evaluated by the next set-up day on 15.01.2025 in order to select furniture, appliances and technical equipment. Preparations for tenders for procurement will begin in parallel.
I’m looking forward to the makerspace at our university. There, students will have the opportunity to put their acquired knowledge to the test and apply it to their own projects. I hope to see cross-faculty / trans-faculty collaboration through joint projects or courses offered there. Who knows—maybe a high school student from the region or one of our students will be tinkering with their business idea here? It’s important to me to help a growing community take root in the Makerspace.
”
Previous stages on the way to the makerspace
A survey conducted by the Student Council in the run-up to Teaching Day 2023 revealed clear requirements for the makerspace: various workshops and stations were proposed, including areas for bicycle repair, 3D printing and sewing. The participants also wanted a music room or recording studio as well as a space for artistic and creative activities. Another suggestion was a round-the-clock lending station for tools, bookable via the Campus Card. The implementation should allow students flexible and self-determined use, for example by student working groups. The makerspace should be open to all enrolled students, with digital equipment instructions, for example in the form of YouTube videos.
The pupils and students emphasized the importance of a versatile workshop with 3D printers, workbenches and quiet areas at the pupils' workshop in Zittau. The makerspace should be open to all target groups and offer space for creative design as well as relaxed places to spend time.
The "Future Spaces" workshop aimed to actively involve pupils, students and employees of the HSZG in the design of the makerspace and the green classroom. Various rooms for creative and practical activities were suggested, as well as courses on metal and woodworking and the integration of renewable energies. In terms of equipment, the focus is on technical devices, presentation options and flexible room design. The creation of storage space and lockers to keep materials safe was also suggested. A lively, colorful design of the rooms, for example through graffiti art, was also desired. Finally, the participants emphasized the importance of gender-appropriate language and an inclusive atmosphere in the entire area.
The presentation of the mobile learning space took place on 02.10., 06.11. and 04.12.2024 at both campus locations. In Zittau and Görlitz, students and employees have identified preferred work areas for the makerspace. These include crafts, electronics, robotics and photo, video and audio technology. A mobile bicycle workshop was also mentioned. They also expressed a desire for a mini-kitchen and an art studio, and in Görlitz they also wanted a textile area. Workshops that provide an introduction to devices such as 3D printers and laser cutters, or that deal with everyday automation (e.g. plant irrigation) or jewelry making are particularly popular. In Görlitz, upcycling projects, repair courses and competition formats such as hackathons were also proposed. Preferred event formats are primarily 90-minute workshops. Working groups should take place on a weekly or fortnightly basis - in Zittau on Wednesdays and Thursdays, in Görlitz from Tuesdays to Thursdays.
On December 6, 2024, the motto "Knowledge comes from ... Making!" became tangible in the SLUB Makerspace Dresden. Egmont Schreiter, Robert Viertel and Christian Tiller, members of the ZukLOS team, took the opportunity to explore the many possibilities of the makerspace together with Maik Jähne, the SLUB's cooperation management coordinator, and to discuss plans for a makerspace of their own in Zittau. The aim of the exploration was to gain an overview of the technical equipment, work processes and services for users. The makerspace offers around 200 square meters of space for creative projects, interdisciplinary collaboration and the exchange of knowledge. With modern equipment, including 3D printers and laser cutters, as well as practice-oriented courses, the facility enables students, researchers and other target groups to flexibly develop and implement their own ideas. As a learning and meeting place, the makerspace expands the traditional tasks of the library with innovative technologies and practical work.
The Vice President for Education and International Affairs extends her heartfelt thanks to all participants in the event for their creative ideas, valuable exchange, and for sharing their thoughts. Their contributions played a key role in launching the new makerspace in Zittau and developing the initial design concepts.
Special thanks go to the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, particularly to the Dean, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus ten Hagen, for providing the space that made this creative process possible.
We would also like to thank the team of the Vice President of studienerfolg@saxHAW —Fritzi Luisa Hähnchen, Miriam Meyer, Luisa Rönisch, and Aline Schulz—for the excellent planning and execution of the event. Without their support, this kickoff would not have been possible.
We would also like to thank the university’s Student Council (StuRa) as well as Orest Lytvyn, the federal volunteer at ZukLOS, for leading the craft workshops. Thanks to their dedication, the participants were able to take their crafts home as small Christmas gifts.
All students and staff at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, as well as regional extracurricular educational institutions and interested members of the public, are invited to actively participate in designing and setting up this new creative space. As an open learning space, the Makerspace offers the opportunity to develop creative projects, try out ideas, and gain new perspectives. Together with you, we want to further develop this space into an innovative place for collaboration and experimentation on the Zittau campus.
The next setup day will take place:
Date: January 15, 2025
Time: 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Building Z IV c, Theodor-Körner-Allee 8, Room 0.01
Please contact us if you’d like to help shape the project, contribute ideas, or support the development of the makerspace. To do so, please contact Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Egmont Schreiter by email at E.Schreiter@hszg.de or by phone at 03583 612-4857.
We look forward to your participation and your creative ideas!
1st floor
2nd upper floor
