Maasmechelen woodworking students build 7-meter table and bench for Koesterweide

Students from the woodworking program at De Helix in Maasmechelen have successfully designed and built a substantial 7-meter long table and bench set. This impressive furniture will be placed at the Koesterweide in Leut, a tranquil area situated behind the local cemetery.

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Natuurpunt gave our 4th-year woodworking students an assignment. That was their first real contact with a client.

The project provided students with invaluable practical experience, marking their first engagement with a real client. Natuurpunt commissioned the woodworking students from the 4th year to create the set. Campus director Kathleen Heyens expressed pride in the students' work, highlighting their ability to handle a client brief.

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The table with benches had to be usable for educational purposes and be able to stand in nature. Furthermore, it had to be made from local and sustainable materials.

Key requirements for the furniture included its suitability for educational purposes, its ability to withstand an outdoor natural environment, and the use of local, sustainable materials. The initial design concept developed by the fourth-year students proved to be highly ambitious. Consequently, the fifth-year students took on the task of refining and executing the plan, a testament to their collaborative spirit and advanced skills.

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The fourth-years got to work with the requirements and came up with such an ambitious design that it was beyond them. That is why our fifth-years eventually worked out the plan. We are very proud of that. They dared to think big.