Architecture as the Housing of Life: Notes on Heidegger and Agamben

Abstract

The paper begins with critical engagement with Agamben’s interpretation of the limits inherent in Heidegger’s thinking of the relationship between “dwelling” and “building.” The overall argument is that while the positions of Agamben and Heidegger differ they are both marked by a resistance to the presence of an original form of relationality. Acknowledging the presence of what is called anoriginal relationality necessitates a rethinking of both building and dwelling. That rethinking, while indebted to Agamben and Heidegger, is equally a departure from the restrictions their positions impose.