Dope Bakehouse

North Vancouver, Canada

At Dope Bakehouse, craft is explored at every scale — from pastry to space. The architecture draws from the process, textures, and forms of baking: curved surfaces, soft finishes, and playful materiality reimagine the bakery as an immersive space. A sweeping, curved wall wraps around an existing column leading into the lamination room, where you catch a glimpse of croissant dough rolling rhythmically through the sheeter.

Design elements are inspired by food forms: the coffee counter is poured like melted butter; a translucent orange curtain drapes like a sugar glaze from the ceiling; and a built-in bench extrudes like rising dough. Every detail, from the ceiling cove to the baseboard, is rounded, as if combed with cream.

This playful softness is constructed with industrial materials. The fluid epoxy floors and stainless-steel surfaces is a nod to the working bakery kitchen, where cleanliness and durability is key. The material palette blurs the line between kitchen and experimentation; equal parts utility and delight.

Credits

Client

Dope Bakehouse/Nemesis Coffee

Office

Sml Studio Architecture

Area

252 m²

Status

Completed 2025

Construction

Made by Pacific

Photography

Juno Kim

Feature Space with Coffee Bar Axonometric

Tucked behind the orange curtain, 8-metre-high ceilings unveil the hidden complexity of modern baking, where mechanical ductwork weaves overhead like a sculptural puzzle. A strip of reflective glass behind the counter frames the kitchen in motion.

Dope Bakehouse was designed in close collaboration with owner Jess Reno, fusing pop culture and sensory experiment. Every room is a new experience: bold, cinematic, and a little bit surreal. Integrated speakers in the signage pulse music through the space, underscoring the idea that baking is a vibe. Retro and futuristic in equal parts, it’s a place where time bends and taste takes over.

The space invites everyone to step off the street and into a world of layered wonder: a moment of indulgence where every surface could be edible, every form a pastry, and every detail unapologetically dope.