STRUCTURAL GLASS FACADES - USC School of Architecture

The Sweets Network presents an extensive online group of case studies organized by
building type (McGraw Hill Construction Sweets Network 2008). At the same location,
links are provided to case studies by the suppliers of various materials.
Detail is an excellent architectural magazine built around a case study format, with
themed issues ranging from facades to concrete construction. Detail generally manages
to live up to its name in providing in-depth content, and their website maintains an
archive of case studies that can be viewed online or downloaded for a small fee. (Detail
portal for architecture 2008).
Intelligent Skins is an example of a book that presents topic chapters of information
followed by, in this case, 22 case studies. (Wigginton 2002)
Case studies range in content from superficial, with little but pretty pictures and general
description, to comprehensive, with extensive detail information. A few images accompanied
by some marketing text, as often found within product supplier’s websites, does not
constitute a case study. The text should be free of “sales pitch” and obvious marketing
language, and should attempt to tell a meaningful story.
A good case study will present a problem and work towards the solution. There is quite often
a lot of blood, sweat and teams buried beneath the buildings featured in those coffee-table
architecture books; good case studies reveal the pain in story format, and thus provide a
learning opportunity for the reader. Exemplary case studies contain the following at
minimum:
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