How was the project approached?

Around 300 staff work in the building, which comprises meeting rooms, boardrooms, a library, staff room, workshops, labs and other technical spaces. 6,000 square metres in area, it contains flexible open-plan office space and has been designed around a main airy atrium space, creating views around and through the building, and reinforcing connections with the setting.

One of the difficulties involved was incorporating the Gaelic signage, which runs far longer than English, but a flexible template was devised which was able to accommodate both languages. The signs themselves were inspired by the strong angular roof of the building, each with a colour-coded triangular peak to signify its location. Rooms were named after notable Scottish nature reserves.