Timber Tinkerland attempts to revive street play and give children ownership of their urban surroundings in Wanstead. The Timber Tinkerland Primary school achieves this through Montessori and Tinkering pedagogies.

The school’s physical boundaries are a catalyst for social interactions in the neighbourhood at all times of the day and the year. The fence and façade’s adaptable designs provide varied ways of playing for different ages. The toy clamps, toy tiles and fabrics crafted by the children can be attached to the school structure to create more opportunities for play and expand the architectural form of the school.

When children first begin the school year, they are inducted by having to make their own chairs. The children keep the chairs during the year and adapt them as they progress through the educational stages.

To mark the end of each school term, the school children perform community performances in the school street theatre as a way of sharing what they learned with the neighbourhood.

Through this communal educational approach, Timber Tinkerland hopes to inspire other schools to make their surroundings more pedestrian friendly.