The Take A Bow Opportunity Centre is an ambitious, environmentally progressive retrofit of the former 1970’s New Farm Loch Community Centre in Kilmarnock. The project, designed for the Take A Bow Development Trust future-proofs the facility for the charitable organisation who specialise in performing arts, and community and youth development. Through a collaborative and data informed process the dated 1970s blockwork building has been reborn as a thriving, energy efficient user-led hub for the East Ayrshire arts scene and local community organisations. When Take A Bow Development Trust took ownership of the building in 2019, it was not fit for purpose; tarnished by rising damp, asbestos, and water ingress from the roof, suffering poor insulation and inefficient heating resulting in exorbitant energy bills. As a youth theatre space, it lacked a viable changing space close to the stage, and in addition, the aging exterior was visually unappealing and unconnected to its setting beside a recently regenerated residential estate and attractive park.

O’DonnellBrown led the building transformation from 2021 through to completion in 2025. Beginning with a feasibility study, the final scheme has been shaped by a community consultation engagement programme, both in person and on social media. In keeping with Take A Bow’s net-zero ambitions, O’DonnellBrown collaborated with energy consultant Carbon Futures to develop an energy strategy that significantly minimised the whole-life carbon impact of the building, optimise energy efficiency and reduce operational costs. The combination of wall, roof and floor insulation, together with the installation of air source heat pumps and LED lighting, has meant that the final specification aligns with UKGBC framework recommendations, and reduces the centre’s energy consumption from 265kWh/m2 to 82kWh/m2, representing a 70% reduction in energy consumption and carbon emissions.