werk.um architekten

What werk.um architekten does

werk.um Architekten und Innenarchitekt PartG mbB is a Darmstadt-based German architecture firm founded in 1995 by Arne Steffen, specializing in modular timber construction, educational buildings, kindergartens, and sustainable residential projects. The firm operates with approximately 40 team members across architectural design, interior architecture, and commercial functions, and is currently led by three managing directors — Anne Kettenburg, Mario Künzig, and Ognyan Rangelov. Its core technical offering centers on prefabricated timber module construction (Holzmodulbau), element-based timber construction (Holzelementbau), hybrid construction methods, and passive house standards, with proprietary methodologies including the 'Modulbaukasten' framework contract system and the 'Wanderschulen' concept for relocatable modular school buildings.

The firm's business model is built on professional services revenue generated through architectural planning fees structured under the German HOAI fee regulation, with projects procured primarily via public competitive tendering and framework agreements. Public sector clients — municipalities, districts, and educational institutions — dominate the customer base, with Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg serving as the anchor relationship through a second-generation framework contract covering 10-15 schools (2022-2026). Major projects include Germany's largest timber modular school project for Stadt Köln (30,000 m² BGF), the Kerschensteiner Grundschule in Dortmund (€12.7M), and the Regino-Gymnasium Prüm (mobile timber modular school designed for relocation to four sites). Geographic reach now spans seven German federal states, and the firm maintains partnerships with engineering firm bauart Konstruktions, landscape architect L 02, and rental model provider mobispace®.

The firm is privately held as a Partnerschaftsgesellschaft mit beschränkter Berufshaftung (PartG mbB), with no disclosed external investors, parent company, or funding rounds. Commercial growth is driven by thought leadership — including the 'werk.um informiert' webinar series for public sector decision-makers, the 'werk.um diskutiert' podcast, and regular contributions to professional architecture publications such as db deutsche bauzeitung — alongside nine+ design and sustainability awards validating the firm's expertise in modular timber construction and sufficiency-based architecture.

Name

werk.um architekten

Legal name

werk.um Architekten und Innenarchitekt PartG mbB

Website

https://werkum.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Short description

werk.um architekten is a Darmstadt-based German architecture firm specializing in modular timber construction for public sector clients — primarily municipalities seeking schools, kindergartens, and sustainable residential buildings through proprietary Modulbaukasten framework contracts and relocatable Wanderschulen designs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Planning Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Architectural Reconfiguration & Structural Alterations (HSAPAEAB), Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

Keywords

• Modular timber construction
• Sustainable architecture services
• School building planning
• Passive house design
• Public sector architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Darmstadt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Planning Services: One-time professional service contracts for building design and planning across all HOAI (German fee structure for architects) service phases. Revenue generated through fixed fees based on building costs for public and private clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

werk.um Architekten is a German architecture firm offering full-service planning across all HOAI phases for public-sector educational facilities (schools, gymnasiums, kindergartens), housing cooperatives, heritage renovations, and research/office buildings, with a distinctive focus on sustainable modular timber construction. Its proprietary Modulbaukasten framework contract system and Wanderschulen (travelling schools) relocation concept enable rapid procurement of demountable, reusable wooden buildings for municipalities and districts.

Product overview

werk.um Architekten is an architecture firm offering specialized planning services primarily focused on educational buildings (schools and kindergartens), residential construction, and sustainable wooden construction methods. The core offering includes modular wooden construction (Holzmodulbau), wooden element construction (Holzelementbau), and hybrid construction approaches. The firm has developed a proprietary 'Modulbaukasten' (Modular Building Kit) system that enables rapid procurement of modular school buildings through framework contracts. Additional services include passive house design, heritage building renovation, and comprehensive general planning. The methodology is centered on sustainability, resource efficiency, and circular building concepts, with particular expertise in demountable and reusable structures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Modulbaukasten (Modular Building Kit) - Framework Contract Service Proprietary framework contract system that enables public clients to procure modular, demountable timber school buildings (classrooms and all-day care facilities with canteens) rapidly without re-tendering each project. Modules can be disassembled and reassembled at new locations or combined with other buildings from the framework.
• Schulbau (School Building Planning) Complete architectural planning services for educational buildings including new construction, extensions, renovations during ongoing operations, and modular solutions for contemporary learning environments. Clients include municipalities, districts, and cities across Germany.
• Kindertagesstätten (Kindergarten Planning) Planning of daycare and kindergarten facilities with child-appropriate room structures, sustainable timber construction, low ecological footprint, comfortable acoustics and haptics, good indoor climate, and functional layouts that ease educators' daily work. 12+ daycare facilities completed to date.
• Wohnungsbau (Residential Construction Planning) Planning of multi-family housing, cooperative housing (Genossenschaftliches Wohnen), and communal living projects with focus on sustainability, KfW-40/KfW-55/KfW-40-Plus energy standards, flexible floor plans, and quality of life.
• Holzmodulbau (Modular Timber Construction Planning)
• Generalplanung (General Planning)
• Denkmalschutz-Sanierung (Heritage Building Renovation Planning)

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy savings of 84% achieved at Haus der Begegnung Königstein compared to original building
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• ARGE BBS (Arbeitsgemeinschaft bestehend aus Baumgarten GmbH, BRÜGGEMANN Holzbau GmbH, Zimmerei Stark GmbH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025ARGE BBS is a joint venture formed for the Köln interim schools project. BRÜGGEMANN Holzbau holds the lead (Federführung), with work split equally among the three companies. werk.um provides architectural planning for Germany's largest timber modular school project (30,000 m² BGF). The partnership enables total contractor delivery (Totalunternehmerauftrag) after EU-wide tendering.
• bauart Konstruktions GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering partnership for structural engineering (Tragwerk), building physics (Bauphysik), and building services (TGA). Collaborates on timber modular school projects including Regino-Gymnasium Prüm and Köln schools. Joint presentation of fire protection concepts for timber construction at 'werk.um informiert' events.
• L 02 LandschaftsarchitektursupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architecture partner (Freianlagen) for Köln interim schools project, responsible for outdoor area design.
• mobispace®supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributormobispace® offers rental models for timber modular schools. werk.um collaborated on presenting the rental school concept to public clients, explaining benefits of renting vs. owning modular school buildings.
• BDA (Bund Deutscher Architekten)supportingOthersAnne Kettenburg and Mario Künzig from werk.um were admitted to BDA in January 2025. The partnership enables participation in professional discourse and policy influence at state and federal level on construction transformation topics.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/werkum-architekten/?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/werk.umarchitekten

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about werk.um architekten