Tiny Houses

Tiny house-style office helps health worker hit the road

Tiny house-style office helps health worker hit the road
L'atelier de Saint-Joseph measures just 4 m (13 ft) in length, making it very small, even by tiny house standards
L'atelier de Saint-Joseph measures just 4 m (13 ft) in length, making it very small, even by tiny house standards
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L'atelier de Saint-Joseph measures just 4 m (13 ft) in length, making it very small, even by tiny house standards
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L'atelier de Saint-Joseph measures just 4 m (13 ft) in length, making it very small, even by tiny house standards
L'atelier de Saint-Joseph is based on a double-axle trailer and gets power from a standard RV-style hookup
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L'atelier de Saint-Joseph is based on a double-axle trailer and gets power from a standard RV-style hookup
L'atelier de Saint-Joseph is finished in red cedar cladding and is topped by an aluminum roof
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L'atelier de Saint-Joseph is finished in red cedar cladding and is topped by an aluminum roof
The interior of L'atelier de Saint-Joseph is finished in solid oak and spruce, and has lots of natural light thanks to the generous glazing
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The interior of L'atelier de Saint-Joseph is finished in solid oak and spruce, and has lots of natural light thanks to the generous glazing
L'atelier de Saint-Joseph features a bed area for visitors that includes integrated storage space
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L'atelier de Saint-Joseph features a bed area for visitors that includes integrated storage space
In the place of where you'd expect to find the kitchen in most tiny houses, L'atelier de Saint-Joseph has a work area with a desk
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In the place of where you'd expect to find the kitchen in most tiny houses, L'atelier de Saint-Joseph has a work area with a desk
L'atelier de Saint-Joseph is kept warm with a small wood-burning stove
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L'atelier de Saint-Joseph is kept warm with a small wood-burning stove
The desk area in L'atelier de Saint-Joseph contains some storage space
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The desk area in L'atelier de Saint-Joseph contains some storage space
L'atelier de Saint-Joseph includes a bathroom with a shower, sink, and toilet
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L'atelier de Saint-Joseph includes a bathroom with a shower, sink, and toilet
The bathroom in L'atelier de Saint-Joseph looks very compact and is separated from the rest of the towable office by a sliding door
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The bathroom in L'atelier de Saint-Joseph looks very compact and is separated from the rest of the towable office by a sliding door
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Though tiny houses are obviously most often created for people to actually live in, the small living movement has left its mark on everything from pubs to bookstores – and even wedding chapels. Another imaginative use comes from France's Baluchon, which recently completed a portable office for a health worker.

The project is named L'atelier de Saint-Joseph (or Saint Joseph's Workshop). It's based on a double-axle trailer and measures just 4 m (13 ft) long. To put that into perspective, Minimaliste's Magnolia V5 tiny house is 10.5 m (38 ft) long.

It's finished in red cedar cladding and aluminum, and power comes from a standard RV-style hookup. Baluchon doesn't specify what kind of healthcare it'll be used for exactly, but says the owner is a health professional who will be using it to give advice.

The interior is very compact and is finished in solid oak and spruce, with lots of natural light thanks to the generous glazing. Curtains are also installed for privacy.

In the place of where you'd expect to find the kitchen in most tiny houses, L'atelier de Saint-Joseph has a work area with a desk
In the place of where you'd expect to find the kitchen in most tiny houses, L'atelier de Saint-Joseph has a work area with a desk

Visitors enter into a reception area, The space near the large window is taken up by a bed with lots of integrated storage. Nearby, where you'd expect the kitchen to be lies a work area with a desk and some seating, as well as some more storage space. Additionally, a small wood-burning stove provides heat for the tiny office.

There are no sleeping lofts in this build, since it's not going to be used as a home, though Baluchon did add some loft storage space over the bathroom. The bathroom itself looks very compact, even for a tiny house, but does contain a shower, sink, and a toilet.

We've no word on the exact cost of L'atelier de Saint-Joseph, though Baluchon's models typically start at €80,000 (roughly US$85,000).

Source: Baluchon [in French]

View gallery - 10 images
6 comments
6 comments
ArdisLille
Best use of a tiny house I've seen to date.
rbolman
Nice design, but I have to wonder why most tiny houses cost nearly as much as a not so tiny house. Yes, I am in a rural area, but still....
StanislawZolczynski
For this money you could get quite a camper.
TpPa
Finally a good purpose for a tiny house ! But stay away from the USA, HIPPA will be all over you for all that patient exposing glass, clothed or not.
TpPa
Oh, I agree my kids had a 29' so called camper with everything a house has, a lot more than tiny houses come with and it was 20 some grand. How is the resail on tiny houses anyway 90 grand and you want to upgrade 2 years later and get 45 grand ?
Brian M
Why not called it for what it is - it's a caravan that just looks wrong (from the outside) and costs way too much!