HUT pulled together a team of consultants on a pro-bono basis to realise this creative and rewarding project for social enterprise The Dusty Knuckle Bakery in Dalston, Hackney. Originally operating out of a 40ft shipping container, The Dusty Knuckle was founded by Max Tobias and Rebecca Oliver in 2014. They are an award-winning social enterprise working with young people facing barriers to financial independence: youth offenders, early school leavers and the long-term unemployed. When the bakery came upon the opportunity to move into a small commercial unit adjacent their shipping container, HUT joined in to help secure planning permission and design the fit-out for the new bakery and cafe space. The unit was stripped back to shell and a tight new layout devised to accommodate the bakery itself, back-of house and storage, and retail space. Cheap but reliable materials are put together in straightforward ways to meet a constrained budget while reclaimed furniture and plants combine to give a destination cafe with character. The bakery was long listed for the RIBA McEwan Awards and shortlisted for the RICS Social Impact Awards. Photography by Emanuelis Stasaitis
