(360) 789-9669 codeinnovations@ecobuilding.org

Case Study Format – Annotated

Case Study Format & Content: Template

Project Title:
Category:

Subcategory:
Specific Innovation:
Jurisdiction:
Parcel Number:
Approving Official(s):
Office or Department:
Owner:
Building Type:
Square Feet:
Occupancy:
Architect:
Builder:
Subcontractor:

Abstract (Write this section last

Applicable Codes and Standards :

Permitting/Approval Process:

Code Requirement Compliance Path

Project Description

Project Contacts:

Builder:

Approving Official:

Building Inspector:

Owner:

Subcontractor:

Other:

Resources & Supporting Documentation:

Title, description                                                        

File name, Web link or citation                                     

Project Narrative:

  • Design / Build Process
  • Cost / Benefit
  • Certifications and Awards

Updates
Citations / References:


Case Study Format & Content: ANNOTATED Template

Project Title:

Project title should include a 1) short descriptor of the specific innovation i.e. design strategy, material or technology which was approved through non-prescriptive path, and 2) minimal identiifier such as owner name & project type etc.

The first section of a case study (below) includes several data fields relating to the specific innovation and the project to which it was applied.

Category: Categories are static, choose from the list

Subcategory: Choose from the list or if none applicable, suggest a new category

Specific Innovation: Choose from the list or if none applicable, suggest a new listing

Jurisdiction: Name of Municipality State; Country

Parcel Number: Acquire this number from the County Assessors Office where the innovation occurred, must be able to provide location street address (do not include address on case study).

Approving Official(s): Name of official who issued the permit. May also include other officials, such as planners, engineers, inspectors, etc. assigned by the City to review the project / innovation.

Office or Department: of the primary approving official

Owner: Name (and affiliation if appropriate) of building or project owner

Building Type: Residential, Multifamily, Commercial, Public Works, etc.

Square Feet: of the project

Occupancy: Current or maximum occupancy

Architect: Name and company (include contact information in the body of the case study, below)

Builder: Name and company (include contact information in the body of the case study, below)

Subcontractor: Name and company (include contact information in the body of the case study, below)

Abstract (write this section last):

The Abstract briefly summarizes the entire case, including a) a brief description of the specific innovation (technology, material, or technique, b) how it relates to the project, c) what was required to permit it, and d) the current status of the project. Database users see this text when they browse case studies by category, so it should be no more than a few sentences.

Applicable Codes and Standards (linked table items on right column table).

Any Applicable Codes & Standards applied in this case should be identified here, and hyperlink to online text of the requirements inserted, if available. If not, link to the organization that developed the code or standard, book purchase page.

Permitting/Approval Process:

This section contains a short paragraph of the code requirements and the compliance path and supporting information used to get the innovation permitted, followed by a 2-column table as shown below (add additional rows as needed). Explain how it deviated from the prescriptive code and why. It should identify the primary code or standards (or other building department needs) required for approval, and how those needs requirements were satisfied.

Code Requirement                                      Compliance Path                                         
Include title or summary of requirement, preferably hyper-linked to the text of code or standard elsewhere online Indicate steps, alternative standards, supporting information or other specifics that were used to justify approval of the innovation. Again, hyperlink to the online information if possible.

Project Description

The first paragraph of this section will elaborate on the how the specific innovation met the intent and requirements of the code, referencing specific supporting information that was used to demonstrate compliance. This could include custom designs, engineering & modeling, evaluation reports, test data, and other supporting documents. If technical experts, organizations or code-support agencies were consulted during the approval process, identify them. If alternative standards were applied, new code interpretations issued, or new policies or codes were adopted as a result, those should be described. It should also identify any additional codes, standards or supplements applied and met in this case not mentioned in the previous section. It should be a complete yet concise description of the approval process, with the goal of providing a detailed “road map” which someone else could follow to gain approval for a similar project. (Many of the items described here will be hyperlinked in the text, and also linked references will be included in tables in other parts of the case study).

The second paragraph should briefly sum up the purpose and goals of the innovation and the reasons for using the technique, material, or technology (i.e. aesthetic, functional, economic, social, environmental or otherwise). This section should also tell what was unique or exclusive about this project, and to what extent the lessons learned can be applied to other similar projects (i.e. universality).


“Read More” link should be inserted here, and linked to a bookmark at beginning of project narrative section below.

Project Contacts:

Include contact information for as many project contributors as possible. Include at a minimum: Name & Title, Organization (company, municipality, etc), Phone and Email. Additional info you can include: Physical / Mailing Address, Website.

Builder:

Approving Official:

Building Inspector:

Owner:

Subcontractor:

Other:

Resources & Supporting Documentation:

Insert a table to include any items which can help document how this innovation gained approval, including uploaded documents (include link to uploaded file on Ecobuilding.org), other online documents (include external link), published documents (include citation reference), and unpublished documents (include instructions how to contact owner of information). You should also include web links to any educational resources which contain general information and analysis or technical data about the innovation, such as the manufacturers product website, trade associations, articles etc.

Title, description                                                        

File name, Web link or citation                                     

Project Narrative:

This optional section is intended to provide more background information that will provide a deeper context and story around the innovation and the project as a whole. For the purposes of the database, this information is of secondary importance to the approval process information presented above, but some readers will find it valuable so the quality of the information and writing is still important. You may want to include information on the following:

  • Design / Build Process
    This section will tell the story of how the project was conceived & designed, who was involved, their educational process, how different elements were incorporated into the project as a whole to achieve the desired functions and benefits, how any hurdles were overcome, etc.
  • Cost / Benefit
    Based on the motivations of the owners and builders, this section identifies any projected or actual benefits of the innovation in relation to the absolute costs of the project. Tangible benefits to the project / owners should be described using specified or actual data if at all possible. Return on Investment / payback analysis should be included if available. This is where the advantages of an innovation may be compared to alternative/substitutes be they more traditional or just different. Intangible or external benefits should also be explored, such as social and environmental benefits accruing to owners, residents, the local community or society as a whole. For an understanding of payback analysis, here’s a good reference: http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/payback-calculations-energy-efficiency-improvements
  • Certifications and Awards
    Identify any Green Building rating systems or standards which were used to certify the project. Also any certifications of the specific technology or material should be identified. Also any awards to the project or project owner/builders in relation to this specific project.

Updates

This section is for updates if and when new information comes to light. For example, if performance data on the project becomes available only after the case is originally published, that information can be added here. Perhaps the project eventually resulted in a change to the code in the municipality that permitted the project, the new code can be referenced and linked here.

Citations / References:

Include any specific references used in the case study not included in the previous section. Use standard APA citation format.