FIFE-based ORA Architects has reported a ‘significant’ uplift in business performance after growing turnover by 11% in 2024/25, with a further 10% growth projected in the year ahead.
The design and architecture practice has strengthened its foothold across the UK’s care sector. The firm, which has delivered projects across the UK for over 50 years, is now expanding its team of architects with conservation and Passivhaus expertise.
Moving into new headquarters earlier this year, the practice said the transition reflects a commitment to ‘service excellence and a thriving workplace culture that fosters collaboration’.
ORA currently employs 10 staff, with expertise spanning care, education, residential and civic design.
The business is known for its bespoke care home design work, an area seeing increasing demand and urgency. Demand for high-quality care provision continues to rise. In England, over 400,000 people now live in care homes. With an ageing population, the sector is facing mounting pressure to deliver not just more beds, but better ones. In Scotland, similar challenges persist – including a drop in the number of adult care homes over the past decade, despite increasing complexity of care.
In response, ORA revealed it has delivered several high-profile schemes combining clinical performance with human-centred design across the UK. This includes Red Kite Meadows in Central Bedfordshire, a Passivhaus-standard development of a 72-bed care home, 88 independent living apartments and short-break facilities. The studio has also designed Home of Compassion in Surrey, reimagining a listed building as a luxury care environment for the Caring Homes Group.
The uplift in turnover follows a period of transition, following the retirement of the firm’s former senior partner in March 2024. ORA added that its client base is made up of almost 90% repeat customers.
Senior partner David Tibbs said, “The demand for well-designed care spaces has never been higher – and not just more beds, but better ones. It’s about creating environments where residents can feel dignity and comfort, where staff can work effectively, and where buildings are built to last. We’re proud to be part of that change.
“It’s been a year of real momentum for us. We’ve taken stock, refocused and come out stronger, with the work to show for it. I think clients can see that we’re not about one size fits all designs or sticking to a set style. Whether we’re working on a heritage restoration or a cutting-edge Passivhaus care home, we build each team and each brief from scratch. That’s helped us grow steadily without compromising on quality.”
ORA continues to focus on projects across Scotland’s central belt. Recent work includes collaborations with several local authorities and private care operators, as well as education and civic buildings.
