Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Perret House, also known as Maison de foremane de la Société A. André Fils, was built in 1922 in the commune of Grand-Quevilly (Seine-Maritime, Normandy). It is part of a housing set designed by architect Auguste Perret for the Société maritime des Pétroles, replacing the refinery A. André Fils active since 1908. These twin houses, made of reinforced concrete with a flint base and interior brick walls, illustrate the debates of the era on the industrializable economic habitat. Their simplicity (without running water, modest comfort) reflects their destination: to house factory executives and foremans.

Published in the magazines L'Architecture vivant et La Construction moderne (1925-1926), these achievements mark a milestone in Perret's work, a pioneer of concrete. The industrial site, burned in 1940, gave way to an incineration plant (Vesta) where the Perret house remains. Classified as a Historic Monument in 1996, it now houses the local archives and serves as a crisis management room, reflecting its adaptation to contemporary uses.

Construction combines technical innovation (prefabrication, roof terrace) and social context: the Norman industrialisation of the early 20th century, with its refineries and shipyards, generates demand for functional housing for employees. These houses, designed in series, prefigure the building blocks. Their preservation underscores their heritage value, both architectural (Perret style) and historical (Industrial memory of the Seine-Maritime).

In 1998, the SMEDAR (waste treatment union) renovated the building after its classification. Its current use — archives, associations and crisis rooms — makes it a hybrid place, between industrial memory and public utility. Perret House thus embodies the rehabilitation of the technical heritage, while remaining anchored in its original territory, Stalingrad Boulevard in Grand-Quevilly.

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