Lessons Learned from and for Requirements Engineering and Building Construction: A Case Study of Requirements Engineering for a Synagogue Kitchen with Use Cases and Scenarios

[Context and Motivation] Use cases and scenarios (UCaSs) are used in Requirements Engineering (RE) to illustrate a system´s interactions with its users´ roles to achieve the users´ functional goals. UCaSs help achieve completeness in the specification of the system´s requirements, to achieve an alignment between the needs of the system´s client and the ultimate implemented system. [Question/Problem] Are UCaSs and other RE techniques applicable to the requirements analysis for building construction? [Principal Ideas/Results] This paper reports a case study of action research, describing an experience by the authors in applying UCaSs to help determine the requirements for a synagogue kitchen. The authors conducted a UCaS-driven requirements analysis and a flow analysis based on the original kitchen plan, produced by a professional architect. These analyses allowed the authors (1) to expose the lack of essential features for a synagogue kitchen, (2) to produce an improved plan for the kitchen, and (3) to demonstrate to the synagogue kitchen´s client why the improved plan should better satisfy his requirements. The results of the analyses were validated with the help of a two-part survey conducted with people known to be knowledgeable about requirements for kosher kitchens. [Contribution] The case study provides a set of lessons learned for RE and for Architecture, Engineering, and Construction.