Winter School 2024

Urban Trees in Canada Water

In London alone up to 10,000 trees are felled every year because of disease, storm damage or urban development. But what happens to this source of timber afterwards?

Working with British Land, architects, industry experts and award-winning Yes Make, this Winter School challenged students to innovate hands-on by designing community-fit timber processing methods that will be considered in Canada Water’s development as London’s first new town centre in 50 years.

The 3 week experience saw students exploring London, ideating and creating in our makerspaces and Yes Make’s workshops, and collaborating with experts in urban development and timber in cities. The programme wrapped up with a showcase day, where each team pitched their timber processing solutions solutions to their peers, industry experts, and local community members.

The Vacuum Kiln

“The winter school provided a realistic insight into the future of the engineering workforce, blending both theory and practical application and challenging me to tackle real-world problems collaboratively. Staff shared their expertise and fostered a creative and engaging learning environment, with several industry experts also providing valuable feedback and advice. The course honed my technical skills and instilled in me a valuable problem-solving mindset, crucial for the dynamic field of design engineering.”
Nicholas Winter school student from UNSW Sydney
“This program provided a unique educational experience, which I found enriching. The opportunity to apply my academic knowledge to create a prototype by the course’s conclusion was rewarding. The inclusion of industry experts as guest speakers, along with site visits to companies in Canada Water, contributed to a hands-on learning environment. This exposure facilitated the development of both my practical and soft skills. Participating in activities such as ideation and pitching allowed me to gain insights into the professional working environment, providing valuable skills applicable across various industries. Overall, my winter school experience at TEDI was exceptionally valuable and offered a unique learning opportunity.”
Rishika Winter school student from UNSW Sydney

How can engineers design a better built environment using urban timber?

From its sustainability to its vital role into the circular economy, discover why engineers, architects and small business should consider using urban timber in their projects.

“Working with the TEDI-London Winter School was an absolute pleasure from start to finish. The students that came to us were lively and engaged with great ideas and energy. Being part of giving them practical and hands-on experience in our field was a brilliant opportunity to start training up a new generation and give them a real-world working reference for a circular economy business model.
It was fantastic to see that in just three weeks the students came up with not one but two solutions which we plan to build and implement in our business right away, as these will help Yes Make provide even greater impact on the community and environment.”
Joel De Mowbray Creative Director, Yes Make