A foundations approach to house hun

A foundations approach to house hunting would be very different. Using a foundations approach, you would be very likely to strip away some sheetrock and pull up floorboards to examine the structural make-up (and integrity) of the house. You would look beneath the surface of all parts of the house to determine how electricity and water (power) flow through the house. You would take a close look at the foundation and attic to determine the basic plans when the house was originally build. You would take notice of additions to this original structure. Throughout this examination you would be trying to understand the purposes of this house and its parts. You would consider the goals and values of the original (and subsequent) builders: what was their intended use of this structure? You might delve into the history of the development of the community in which the house is located. And you would examine the impact of current neighbors, traffic flow, community resources, and access to other parts of the community from this location. This is a foundations approach: interpretive (to understand this house within its context); normative (to understand the value orientations of the house dwellers); and critical (to understand the assumptions beneath the surface, and to identify contradictions and inconsistencies between the values and the structure of the house).