The Michelin factory was founded in 1889 by André and his brother Édouard. By 1900, it employed just 100 workers, rising to 18,000 by 1924. In 1909, the company created the Société d'Habitation du Personnel Michelin (Michelin Staff Housing Company) and its Habitations à Bon Marché (low-cost housing) program. Workers' housing estates were built between 1910 and 1930 in Clermont-Ferrand, then after the Second World War, 50% of new construction took place in outlying towns. By 1970, Michelin owned 8,000 housing units. There are still 27 Michelin housing estates throughout the city.
The company developed a series of standard plans classified according to the letters of the alphabet. The housing estates were built according to the Taylorist method used in the factory and transposed to the building sites. In 1962, the Bezance housing estate in Romagnat was built. It gave its name to a generic model. The factory facilitates the self-building of "beaver" houses by supplying plans, materials at preferential prices and technical supervision.
The Pègues housing estate was built between 1962 and 1964. The "Bezance" or "beaver" style houses all have their own small garden. The housing estate has retained its 160 individual dwellings. At the entrances to the housing estate, enamelled lava panels, stamped with the Michelin Man on the reverse, show the layout of the estate. Street names reflect the provinces of France.
- Visible from the street only.
