House as a Relational Potential for Home The Case of Isolated Modernist Collective Housing in Brussels. Gérald Ledent, Olivier Masson 'Habitation consists first of objects, by the products of practical activity: moveable or immovable property. They form a characteristic ensemble, or ensembles, within societies. They exist objectively, or if you will, "objectally", before they signify; but they do not exist without signifying. The word "before" indicates a kind of logical priority rather than previousness in time. We ought to posit habitation as an inherent function of every society, every social organism; but a signifying function is straightaway added to this practical function. Moveable and immovable property constitutes habitation, embracing and signifying social relations.' LEFEBVRE, Henri 1 1_1_Posture The core of habitation lies in the relationships that bind the individual human subject with others. It goes largely beyond matters such as style, form or aesthetics. It is thus primarily a social 2 issue. In addition to creating a technically efficient milieu and establishing an orderly centre in the surrounding universe, it defines the framework for a social system 3 . The social nature of the abode of man is our starting position. In order to accommodate and sustain social relationships, man combines a series of artefacts that can be defined as house. Additionally, house is complemented by the idea of home, embodying the ineffable and subjective qualities of those relationships. Together, house and home form an indissoluble whole within the concept of dwelling. Furthermore, dwelling, as the combination of house and home, is an intricate product of cultural models ‐ habitus ‐ that evolve slowly. Those habitus are cultural by essence, depending on the commonly recognized cultural models. Yet, we believe that, while every house is produced culturally with physical artefacts that differ from one place to another, those physical artefacts sustain a common and limited number of potentialities concerning social interactions. In turn, there is a limited, yet necessary, number of social operations common to all men to achieve a sense of home. They can be considered as fundamental infra‐cultural anthropological operations. They are the necessary and sufficient social interactions for any human subject to dwell. 1 Preface to the study of the Habitat of the 'Pavillon' , in ELDEN, S., KOFMAN, E. & LEBAS, E. 2006. Henri Lefebvre: Key Writings, Bloomsbury. pp. 124 ‐ 125 2 According to Max Weber, 'Action is "social" insofar as its subjective meaning takes account of the behaviour of others and is thereby oriented in its course' in WEBER, M. 1921/1968. Economy and Society, New York, Bedminster Press. p.4 3 Leroy ‐ Gourhan defines habitat in this three directions, technical, social, cosmic, in LEROI ‐ GOURHAN, H. 1965. Le geste et la parole, Paris, A. Michel. p.150