When Pierre-Yves Loaëc left his office in Nantes each evening, he’d pass a woman sleeping in the parking lot near his marketing agency, Nobilito, huddled by a vent for warmth. Inside, his office sat empty—fully furnished, heated, with a kitchen, shower, and sofa. The contrast haunted him. In 2019, that discomfort sparked Bureaux du Coeur—“Offices of the Heart”—a simple yet transformative idea: when employees go home, offices become homes.
France is home to an estimated 350,000 people experiencing homelessness, while remote work has left countless office spaces unused. Bureaux du Coeur bridges that gap. What began in one Nantes office has grown into a national movement, now active in 40 cities across France and expanding into Lisbon, Barcelona, and Brussels. The initiative partners with 400 companies, offering safe overnight shelter to people in transition—many of whom are employed or in training but lack stable housing.
Since its founding, Bureaux du Coeur has provided roughly 160,000 nights of shelter and supported more than 1,000 individuals. Each guest—carefully selected in collaboration with social service organizations—spends nights in converted meeting rooms or break areas, with access to full facilities. Participants must be adults without children or pets, legally residing in France, abstaining from alcohol and drugs, and engaged in reintegration programs such as job training. While these criteria mean not everyone can be accommodated, the model ensures companies can participate safely, focusing on space while professionals handle social support.
Loaëc, president of the Nantes chapter of the Centre des Jeunes Dirigeants (CJD), didn’t act alone. He brought the idea to fellow business leaders, many of whom initially thought he’d “lost his mind.” But after refining the model, he welcomed Elisabeth, a woman fleeing domestic violence, into his own office for three weeks. Then came Booba, who stayed through France’s first pandemic lockdown, shielded from virus outbreaks that plagued emergency shelters.
A turning point came in May 2020, when Ouest-France covered the initiative. Calls flooded in from companies and nonprofits nationwide. Today, Bureaux du Coeur employs 12 staff and coordinates 270 volunteers. Funding comes from foundations and private donors, proving that corporate spaces can serve civic purpose.
For participants like Samy, a Sudanese trainee electrician, the impact is profound. “I feel a little bit at home here,” he said. “I feel a little freer.” His words capture a deeper truth: homelessness isn’t just about shelter—it’s about dignity, stability, and the mental space to rebuild. As hybrid work reshapes cities, Bureaux du Coeur offers a hopeful blueprint: unused offices, filled with purpose, one night at a time.