Builders have created an eco-classroom made entirely by people’s hands and feet.

The structure in Moulsecoomb Forest Garden and Wildlife Project is made from a hand-sawn frame of Sussex Douglas fir and chestnut wood.

The walls are made from a mixture of clay, sand and straw, mashed together by foot.

Site builder Russell Pountney, 39, of Kemp Town, said: “We are proud of it. We are getting a lot of very good feedback.

“A lot of mental energy has gone into this so it is very satisfying to achieve what we set out to do.”

Mr Pountney and his 26-year-old apprentice Russell Kingston built the shed after the previous structure was destroyed in an arson attack in 2011.

The building now occupies an enviable spot at the top of the steep plot which means expansive views across the Lewes Road valley but also a long walk lugging building items up from the road below.

Mr Pountney said: “The materials are relatively cheap but labour is intensive.”

For project volunteers, the shed at the top of this suburban pocket of Brighton will be a base to teach new skills to children with mainstream school difficulties.

The building is six metres square and, more than its predecessor, will be warm.

A lime wash on the inside seals the walls while the outside is treated with a lime render to keep the elements at bay.

Old glass bottles embedded in the walls let daylight into a store below the main room.

The shed is waiting for its windows now and Mr Pountney said they are “on the home stretch.”

The self-employed woodworker and eco-builder said: “People are interested in environmental concerns and it is a showpiece for young people. If it’s maintained, it could last for hundreds of years.”

Moulsecoomb Forest Garden, created in 1994 by Warren Carter and friends, celebrated its 20th birthday yesterday.

Treated as allotments, it is rented from Brighton and Hove City Council.

Sunday saw hundreds of people turn up for food, drink and activities.

Santander, which has an office in a nearby university building, pledged to match whatever was fundraised.

Visit the group’s website: www.seedybusiness.org.