In pursuit of innovation value in building projects

Purpose - Although the construction industry is known for its low level of innovation and slow pace of change, some of its characteristics not only make this sector unique but also provide some opportunities to innovate. Innovation evaluation has become one of the priorities for building practitioners. This study aims to develop a practical methodology to evaluate the outcomes of innovation in small building and construction projects. Design/methodology/approach - The research used three real case projects and information along with what was found in the literature. A framework was developed based on an extensive literature review of innovation outcomes evaluation. Findings - The outcomes of the building projects were categorized into six categories of economic, quality, social, environmental, satisfaction and soft and organizational impacts. It was found that the outcomes of innovative practices in construction projects could be evaluated if subjective assessment is tolerated. The findings of this research are limited to the domestic and medium-density building projects, thus the outcomes might be generalized with appropriate care. The proposed practical framework would assist practitioners in the field of building and construction to realize the impacts of innovation introduced in their projects. The project owners and developers could be the main users of this framework. Originality/value - Previously developed models or frameworks have mainly remained at the abstract level that could be used as guidelines, but the proposed framework in this study is practical and applicable to real building projects.