Here is a paper from several years ago that asserts that protein intake distribution – consuming most of the protein at one meal or spreading it out more evenly throughout the day – does not affect muscle building. Hence the authors conclude:
We conclude that over an 8-week intervention period, the protein intake distribution pattern in mixed meals does not play an important role in determining anabolic response, muscle strength, or functional outcomes.
One caveat is that it is uncertain whether the subjects were doing any resistance exercising. For example, you may expect to observe better results consuming a lot of protein just after the workout (and/or before and after) than distributed throughout the day, but this needs to be confirmed. If the subjects were just regularly active, then perhaps intake time does not matter. More study is required.
