Raasay Community Centre

Isle Of Raasay

On Raasay, one carefully planned building supports everything from school PE and shinty to ceilidhs, theatre and a morning coffee.

The community needed a warm, accessible and affordable replacement for its outdated upper-floor hall at Raasay House. Dualchas was appointed following a limited competition and public consultation.

Making a modest building work harder
The new hall is built into the hillside, giving level access to both floors without a lift—reducing construction cost and avoiding difficult long-term maintenance on a remote island.

A clear-span central hall accommodates sport and events, with changing rooms, kitchen, storage and services alongside. An upper meeting space and gallery allow different groups and generations to use the building simultaneously. The brief was tested through community consultation, visits to other halls and a daily timetable of likely activities.

A simple steel portal frame is wrapped continuously in untreated larch. Birch plywood and oak warm the interior, while protected glazing opens towards the Sound of Raasay and the Cuillin. Site stone was reused in gabions. High insulation, a ground-source heat pump, underfloor heating and heat-recovery ventilation help control running costs.

The result is a practical civic building whose architectural quality comes from economy, flexibility and a strong connection to place.

What others say
“Its very simplicity illustrates a resolve and determination to raise the architectural ambitions of the ordinary.”

Neil Gillespie, Architect

Awards and recognition
RIBA Award 2011 — Winner
RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award 2010 — Shortlisted
Featured by Architecture and Design Scotland
Published by ArchDaily