Morgan Ashurst and Robinson Architects have handed over an innovative eco-friendly school – thought to be the first in the country to be built on stilts.

The £9 million Irk Valley Community School on Waterloo Road, Lower Crumpsall, stands on a system of stilts ranging from 60cm at the front to 1.5m at the back. It also features an evacuation platform, like an elevated walkway, which allows pupils to easily exit the school and reach safer ground at the nearby Harpurhey Viaduct. Flood gates are integrated within the perimeter fencing and an ancillary ‘grasscrete’ car park doubles as a soak away.

Morgan Ashurst and Robinson Architects delivered the specialist system of stilts to eliminate a one in 100-year risk of flooding from the River Irk, which lies close to the site. The original concept design was created by Walker Simpson.

The measures to tackle potential flooding are not the only sustainable feature of the new, two-form entry school which includes 12 classrooms, a dedicated music and IT suite, an impressive main school hall which serves as a flexible performance space and community facilities.

The new school, delivered for Manchester City Council under its construction partnering arrangement, Framework One, has achieved BREEAM 'Very Good' status. Clad in 100 per cent recyclable materials, the school also showcases a rainwater harvesting system, comfort cooling systems in each classroom and an attenuation pond with a DDA-compliant walkway which borders the River Irk. This pond will form an ecological habitat area and is used as a teaching aid by the school.

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Completion of the school comes as Britain braces itself to foot a £3.2 billion bill to repair damage caused by devastating floods in Cumbria last winter. Meanwhile, The Met Office is predicting heavier summer downpours and total winter rainfall, which is likely to increase flood risk in some areas. In addition, DeFRA is preparing the Flood and Water Management Bill 2010, which will offer new guidance into how to manage floods and install sustainable drainage.

"The flooding we have seen recently in Cumbria and Hull shows that we cannot predict the weather anymore," said Morgan Ashurst Area Director Jim Morgan. "We have to address that in our construction projects.

"We wouldn't advise building on a flood plain but this project offers a sustainable solution in cases where there is no alternative.

"This site was an overgrown wasteground but we have shown that with modern construction techniques we can build almost anything anywhere, which gives these sites a commercial value. From an insurance point of view, this ready-made preventative measure should keep premiums down.

"The original concept design for the stilts was by Walker Simpson. We worked with Robinson Architects to test several different systems and materials before finding the winning combination for the stilts system. It was a challenging construction project and we had to sequence the work carefully to prevent the team being ‘boxed in’ by the evacuation system.

"Most importantly, the school is a learning resource in itself. Children can monitor how much energy is being used and study the wildlife forming habitats in the pond. These pupils are living and breathing sustainability from a very young age. This ties in directly with the National Curriculum.

"The school also gives the community a safe haven where the community can go in the event of any flooding."

(CD/BMcC)