Amid the tragedies of the floods throughout the north of England, one innovative design feature has survived, despite its location in a sunken former gravel pit on the banks of the river Ribble. Brockholes wildlife centre is based in a visitor centre built on a hollow concrete raft tethered by four massive steel posts. Built by Adam Khan Architects, the floating village is designed to cope with tidal fluctuations on a flood-prone site. When the Ribble burst its banks over Christmas, devastating villages such as Ribchester, Adam Khan’s building literally rode the waters. The centre had to be closed as access routes were inundated, but staff have been able to reach the village by boat and report that the structure remains intact. Any lessons for future flood-prone sites?
Austen Lynch
Garstang, Lancashire
More letters on the UK floods
• Time to get real about the UK’s flood defences
• Rewild the landscape to absorb storm waters
• Common sense on flood prevention is being swept aside
• Missing contour data hampers UK’s floods response
• Tories’ leaky policies on flooding leave us unprepared
• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com
