RIAS Consultancy, the competitions and procurement arm of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, launched the Timespan competition in September 2024. Five teams were shortlisted from 38 expressions of interest. Assemble with Office Corr Higgins emerged as the winners, overcoming strong competition from the other shortlisted teams led by Dualchas Architects, Moxon Architects, Rural Design and Konishi Gaffney Architects.

Timespan is housed in a former herring curing yard beside the River Helmsdale. The proposed redevelopment of its 600m2 site encompasses Timespan’s café, gallery, workshops, storage and museums spaces, and is intended to deliver a more coherent built presence and better facilities for visitors and staff, with a focus on local materials and character, while also reducing the organisation’s environmental impact. Assemble and Office Corr Higgins will receive approximately £30,000 to prepare the feasibility study, detailing designs and costs to RIBA Stage 1.

Giulla Gregnanin (director and curator, Timespan) explained why Assemble and Office Corr Higgins were selected: “Assemble and Office Corr Higgins have been chosen as the perfect partners for Timespan. Their focus on empowering communities, their commitment to enhancing local context while advancing Timespan’s global ambitions, and their visionary interdisciplinary approach resonate deeply with our ethos. We are thrilled to embark on this collaboration, confident that their expertise will help shape a bold and transformative future for Timespan and our communities.

“We are immensely grateful to RIAS Consultancy for their invaluable guidance throughout this process. The exceptional quality of the five shortlisted teams made the selection both inspiring and challenging, and we sincerely thank all the architects who presented such compelling proposals.”

Assemble and Office Corr Higgins said: “We are thrilled to be collaborating with the Timespan team and Helmsdale community on the redevelopment of their building. Timespan is an inspirational and vital cultural resource for the North of Scotland. The project is a fantastic opportunity to create a locally embedded, globally connected venue in the Scottish Highlands, combining fascinating local history with an ambitious and vibrant art programme. It promises to be a wonderful project with a great team and amazing site – we can’t wait to get started!”

Tamsie Thomson, chief executive of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, added: “We have enjoyed working alongside Timespan to support its redevelopment objectives, and delighted that Assemble and Office Corr Higgins will be helping Timespan to take the project forward. The team’s socially engaged, community driven approach won the day, as well as their understanding of Timespan’s combination of local impacts and global outlook.

“At the start of this process, we said that Timespan is an organisation that punches above its weight, and we’re delighted to be part of a project that harnesses architecture to allow Timespan to fully realise its potential. RIAS Consultancy exists to bring organisations of all shapes and sizes together with great architectural talent, and we’re thrilled to have played a part to support Timespan and its exciting plans for the future.”