Creative Hub

Outer Hebrides

A much-loved community arts centre in the Outer Hebrides needed room to grow without losing its connection to the people and landscape it serves. Dualchas was commissioned to assess the existing facilities and develop proposals for new studios and student accommodation.

The project required a site that could maintain continuity with the established centre while responding to future flood risk and allowing further expansion.

Our response
The proposed building is formed by two simple pitched-roof volumes that slip gently past one another. Their staggered gables create sheltered external spaces at each end and break down the scale of the development.

The plan provides flexible creative and residential spaces while keeping circulation clear and efficient. Minimal, sensitive landscaping allows the building to sit lightly on its coastal promontory.

Outcome
The proposal gives the arts centre a practical framework for growth while preserving the qualities that make its setting distinctive. Its restrained form and careful siting create a contemporary cultural building rooted in the Outer Hebrides.