Timber is light and renewable, while steel is strong and familiar to builders. Can we connect them to create better buildings? In this project, students will help build and test connections between timber panels and steel parts. Activities will include measuring materials, matching bolts and screws to drawings, helping assemble specimens, placing sensors at marked locations and taking photographs. During testing, students will watch how the connection moves and identify visible changes such as slipping, bending or damage to the timber. They will then use prepared spreadsheets or scripts to produce simple graphs and compare several connection designs. No previous knowledge of timber, steel design or laboratory testing is required. The research team will provide training, drawings, templates and close supervision.