Work was being carried out today to install what is believed to be the country's first "flat pack" boarding house at an independent school.

The innovative building offers an eco-friendly solution to the lack of space for boarders at Seaford College in Petworth.

The two-winged, two-storey building is costing the school £2.85m and will accommodate 90 pupils and eight members of staff by the time it is completed in April next year.

The 100m-long structure was delivered to the college on the back of 36 trucks and is currently taking shape in a former Elizabethan walled garden at the school, which teaches girls and boys between the ages of seven and 18.

The flat pack structure was manufactured by German company STREIF GmbH in its factory close to Cologne and imported by local Chichester-based building contractors W Stirland Ltd.

The STREIF system is more sustainable than more conventional buildings in terms of the materials used.

Because of the building's thermal efficiency, it is expected that 22% less energy will be required for heating than a comparable, traditionally constructed building, resulting in significant long-term energy savings for the college.

Headmaster Toby Mullins said: "Although we have invested heavily in new buildings in recent years, this is by far the most exciting project to date and something which is quite innovative in the UK.

"The college has been working with Stirlands for a number of years, as well as with the local authority, to ensure that the development is fully in keeping with the landscape of Lavington Park and the school's energy-saving ethos.

"The college has been under pressure to provide a new boys' boarding house as student numbers have increased and we are sure this new-style development will be a huge hit with the occupants."

W Stirland director Shaun Stirland added: "These buildings are highly sustainable and manufactured using high precision engineering.

"They are thermally more efficient than traditional construction methods and very robust.

"They are also extremely quick to erect, enabling our clients to start using their new buildings much earlier than if the construction method was of masonry or some of the other off-site manufactured solutions."