"Children Construct with Timber"

For many years now we are occupied in our laboratory to characterize various types of timber and wood products. And for the same number of years our storage of “wood waste”, the broken and leftover pieces in such laboratory tests, is increasing. Due to the fact that no further economic use of these remnants was intended, we had to ask ourselves sooner or later what to do with all the usable remaining pieces of hard- and softwood when cutting specimens for our laboratory tests? 

Should we make firewood or rather shredder it which causes less work? As every piece of wood is precious, we would and should find alternative options for its use before using it for a fireplace. Doing so we found our solution: handmade construction kits full of three to four hundred wooden building bricks for elementary schools as well as kindergartens, entirely manufactured from broken pieces of our specimens and therefore from very different types of wood.

Already four of these construction kits found their way to the elementary school Sacre Coeur Graz, three to the elementary school Waltendorf, seven to the Waldorf school St. Peter, four to the elementary school St. Peter and two to the Montessori children’s house in Wetzelsdorf. Seeing the enthusiasm and joy of the girls and boys in receiving these constructions kits as well as their tremendous concentration and creativity when constructing towers, bridges, and houses in their school breaks surprised and motivated us enormously to continue in doing so. We do not fear to run out of timber soon!

Text: G. and P. Schickhofer, Graz, April 17, 2024