Pressroom

This year, ATP architects engineers’ annual Christmas donation is benefitting “Locugee: awakening potentials,” which is organized by the JRS – Jesuit Refugee Service in Vienna. ATP is supporting Pater Martin Rauch S.J. and his team in their work of promoting integration through a contribution of 20,000 euros.

Perspectives for the future based on language
Locugee: awakening potentials is an initiative that helps refugees to gain a foothold and, hence, find a new home in Austria as quickly as possible. The word “Locugee,” a combination of “local” and “refugee,” stands for the encouragement of refugees and locals to come together in the shape of shared accommodation, language courses, and job placements. “The clear focus of our work is the acquisition of the German language,” explains Pater Martin Rauch, the project initiator. “Language offers us perspectives for a new life. We want to enable people to take their future in their own hands. Because life is not what it is but what we make of it,” adds Pater Martin, inspired by the words of Viktor Frankl.

In autumn 2024, 117 students are attending the German courses organized by the project. In addition to this, the team from “Locugee” offers courses on democracy and the basic values of Western society. ATP’s donation will help to cover the personnel costs of the German teachers as well as the rental and operating costs of the classrooms.

Supporting socially relevant projects
Every year, one of ATP’s 14 European design offices selects a social project in their area. This year, ATP Vienna decided to support the JRS – Jesuit Refugee Services: “We were deeply impressed by the successful engagement of Pater Martin’s team. We are delighted that our donation will be able to help displaced people to integrate in Austria and to establish a new life as quickly as possible,” said the Managing Directors of ATP’s Vienna office, Petra Maier and Christian Pagitsch, as they handed over the check.

Corporate giving – Sustainable social responsibility
ATP architects engineers is Europe’s leading integrated design office and employs over 1,500 employees at 14 offices in the DACH & CEE Regions. ATP architects engineers sees this form of corporate giving as a way of supporting long-term social engagements or socially significant projects and institutions that have a positive impact on the regions around ATP’s offices.