Base case buildings. Project Report No. 2

Descriptions of residential buildings were established that will be used as the basis for determining the cost effectiveness of the new regulations. Building configuration parameters such as size, shape, height, envelope design (wall, roof, ceiling and floor type) and amount of glass represent common construction practice during 1979. The year 1979 was selected because it is not the intent of the new regulations to significantly affect these architectural features. Building energy conservation measures such as amount of insulation (walls, ceiling and floors), type of glass and types of infiltration control measures represent common historic practice prior to 1975. Base cases are established for the following building types: custom residence/single family, tract residence/single family, cluster residence/2 to 8 multi-residence, low-rise apartment, condominium/1 to 3 stories, and low-rise motel, hotel, 1 to 3 stories. All of the base case building data were collected from building officials in local building departments. Building officials were judged to be the best source of current and historic building construction data because all plans for new buildings must be approved in their offices.