Embo Community Hub, Dornoch

Over the years we have worked on many non-domestic buildings and quite a few former schools. Few are as beautiful or as important to their community as this former school in Embo. Originally designed by architect William Fowler in 1859. Having closed as a school and then being used as a community hall, the building was in need of considerable refurbishment when we began this project for The Embo Trust in 2013.

This work began at the feasibility stage to convert the building into a Community Hub that now offers a wide range of facilities for Embo. The Embo Trust worked incredibly hard to get Lottery Funding for the project, which was awarded 2016. We assisted in working with a local Quantity Surveyor on budget costings and in appointing a suitable Principal Contractor. We then acted as contract administrator during the construction phase of the project.

The whole building was refurbished, including part of the existing roof being replaced and the entire roof was re-slated. The interior was also stripped out and fully insulated, new aluminium clad windows were installed and a new heating system.

Working with such a beautiful stone building presented its own challenges and we were conscious any changes we made had to respect the building any compliment the stunning sandstone exterior. The choice of materials, the colour of the new windows and the lighting were all carefully considered as part of the process. The building now provides a large multi-purpose hall, cafe, community shop and meeting room and it is used by a wide range of people in the village.