“In dwelling resides the being of man,” says Heidegger, summarizing a profound concept in a few words. Dwelling is our cocoon, the protected space in which we shape our innermost humanity. By focusing on the ways in which we inhabit the world, we better understand who we are and how we relate to others. Living and inhabiting, often considered synonymous, are two sides of the same coin. Both are dynamic processes, influenced by a multitude of factors: from climate to culture, from technology to social context. Our homes are the result of a complex interaction between these elements, a unique expression of our history and identity. The way we live is a complex system of meanings that shapes every aspect of our existence. From everyday choices to major life orientations, from private to public space, it is the home that shapes our gestures, our languages and our relationships with the world around us, including the natural world.
Each society, throughout its history, develops specific representations of space, constructing a symbolic order that guides the actions of its members. This order is the result of a complex interweaving of cultural, social, economic and environmental factors. Kinship relations, economic activities, perceptions of the landscape and the influence of the physical environment combine to define space and, consequently, shape our lives.
Housing, then, is not only a physical place, but a reflection of our collective and individual identity. Whether we live in a suburban high-rise, in a small apartment with no greenery or in a country house, this choice, the result of multiple factors, will inevitably affect our worldview, our social relationships and, ultimately, our quality of life.
Living spaces are not mere containers, but real “inhabiting machines” that shape our lives and identities. They are, as Bourdieu argued, materialized habitus, that is, social structures embedded in bodies, everyday practices and domestic space. However, dwelling is not an immutable given, but a dynamic and ever-changing process and relative to its context of cultural production. Anthropology has shown us how, for much of human history, dwelling has been conceived in terms of mobility, of nomadism. Dwelling and going were and are intertwined in a continuous becoming, where stopping represents an intermediate stage, a moment of pause in a larger journey. Inhabiting the world, we can say with certainty, is not a static act, but a continuous becoming between rootedness and movement. Moving, we have explored new territories, adapting to different environments and shaping them in our own image, thus building a history of encounters, exchanges and transformations.
“We are the space we occupy, and our body, including spirit, either suffers or is happy according to its surroundings. And if you change the space, you change the body. Thus body and space end up resembling each other more than dog to master. And if the space in which we move gets sick, we also get sick.” – George Todde
The home then is not only a physical place, but also a point of reference for the community. It is where relationships are built, experiences are shared and values are transmitted. In this sense, the challenge of sustainable living is also a collective challenge. We need to work together to create more resilient communities, more attentive to the well-being of people and the environment. Home, the refuge and expression of our humanity, is today at the center of a crucial reflection. In an era marked by environmental and social crises, there is an urgent need to rethink the way we inhabit the planet, seeking to establish a more balanced relationship with the nature of which we are a part. Every choice we make, from building a new house to furnishing our apartment, has an impact on the environment and future generations. It is our responsibility to act now to build a sustainable future by resignifying gestures, relationships and materials.
Our future is at a crossroads: either we undertake a radical social and sustainable transformation, or risk irreparably compromising our planet and, with it, our very existence. There is an urgent need to trigger a profound cultural revolution that redefines the way we dwell. The green home is not just a building constructed with efficient materials and powered by renewable energy, but a true manifesto of a new way of life. The time has come to move beyond the conception of the green home as simply a sum of sustainable technologies and materials; we need to rethink the very concept of comfort, abandoning unnecessary habits such as the indiscriminate use of air conditioning. Investing in proper insulation, enhancing natural ventilation and taking advantage of environmental resources will allow us to create healthy and pleasant environments without compromising the balance of the planet.
The green home is just one piece of a larger puzzle. To build a sustainable future, we need to turn our cities into green oases, fostering biodiversity and improving quality of life. Concrete must make more and more room for greenery, roof gardens and urban gardens. Only then can we create more livable environments that are resilient to climate change. We need to make the outdoors explode, green must truly colonize our cities because the expanded and ecological home is the home of the future.
