RKA has designed a new home for Options in Life, a charity that supports young adults with learning difficulties and disabilities. Set within the former TSB building in Cupar, a Category C listed structure, the project transforms the historic property into a vibrant and fully accessible space for education, social activity, administration, and a new public café.

The design retains and enhances the building’s original character, reinstating stone steps and reinterpreting the arched entrance with a telescopic, oak-clad doorway. Glazed doors and windows, set within the original oak frames, help activate the street frontage and invite greater public connection.

A central void draws daylight deep into the plan and connects all three levels of the building – spaces that were previously disconnected. The interior layout has been opened up to create a more welcoming and navigable environment, with the café forming the social heart of the scheme.

To the rear, a new accessible circulation core clad in pre-patinated copper complements the surrounding stone buildings while introducing a subtle contemporary contrast. Carefully proportioned and contextually responsive, the design supports the charity’s mission by providing a space that is inclusive, uplifting, and rooted in its local setting.