The COTE® Super Spreadsheet has been a useful tool for architects seeking to measure and communicate design excellence. Developed in 2016 as part of the COTE Top Ten Toolkit, the spreadsheet provided a structured, quantitative way to standardize and evaluate project performance across the COTE Top Ten Measures. COTE created the toolkit--a combination of narratives, clear metrics, and a handy calculator to make those conversions--with the hope of not only making the process of submitting to and reviewing the COTE Top Ten Awards easier, but also to build the case for the real, quantifiable impact these winning projects had.
When the AIA adopted the COTE Top Ten Measures as the Framework for Design Excellence in 2019, the profession gained a powerful, shared set of principles to guide design. However, the quantitative metrics and guidance embedded in the Super Spreadsheet were not carried forward into the Framework itself. As a result, the Framework lacks any real accountability on shared definitions of success and measured impact. Many architects continue to rely on the spreadsheet as a separate, standalone tool to calculate performance metrics, benchmark projects, and prepare award submissions.
As a step toward reuniting metrics with the Framework for Design Excellence—and to modernize how architects track and use performance data—the Top Ten metrics have been integrated directly into the Design Data Exchange (DDx).
The DDx version of the COTE Top Ten metrics recreates the core functionality of the Super Spreadsheet in a more accessible, consistent, and connected platform. After entering project data across a series of tabs aligned with the Framework principles, users can view a consolidated summary of metrics on the Summary tab. For projects pursuing the COTE Top Ten Award, this summary also provides guidance on how to transfer required information into the awards application portal.
This integration does not affect existing 2030 Commitment data or reporting. Instead, it creates a smoother connection between 2030 projects and COTE Top Ten Award submissions, allowing firms to reuse and build upon data they are already tracking.
By embedding the COTE Top Ten metrics into the DDx, AIA members gain a single, durable platform to:
- Calculate and benchmark performance metrics across all 10 Principles of the Framework for Design Excellence
- Design, iterate, and evaluate projects using consistent quantitative measures, not just narratives
- Build firmwide literacy around climate action and performance-based design
This integration represents Phase 1 of a broader, multiyear effort led by COTE in collaboration with AIA’s Technology team and the Climate Action and Design Excellence teams. Over time, the DDx will evolve beyond a digital version of the Super Spreadsheet into a comprehensive online implementation platform—supporting architects at all levels and across all phases of practice as they work toward a zerocarbon, equitable, resilient, and healthy built environment.
For more information on COTE Top Ten’s integration into the DDx, please see our help pages. >