Post-occupancy Evaluation Study Research Articles

Enhancing indoor air quality in office buildings: Insight from a field study

Building tight for minimizing building energy consumption and related carbon emissions might negatively affect indoor air quality (IAQ) if this is not correctly designed and evaluated during operation. To address this concern, a post occupancy evaluation study was conducted in a recent large office building in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano (Italy). The aim of the study was to collect evidence from a relevant case study and use it as a basis to define a standardized strategy for continuous monitoring of a larger portfolio of office buildings. Additionally, carbon dioxide (CO2), particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), air temperature, and relative humidity were recorded 24/7 for a 5-week period in winter 2023. Detailed spot measurements of VOCs and aldehydes were also carried out. Perceived air quality (PAQ) was evaluated through satisfaction surveys which covered various factors influencing PAQ including 14 potential sources of dissatisfaction. A cross-modal approach allowed for a comprehensive examination of the different domains (thermal, visual, acoustic, and IAQ) on PAQ. Measured contaminants’ levels were below recommended limits. Overall, participants were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with PAQ, and possible related sources of dissatisfaction were elements such as the relative humidity. Sick building syndrome (SBS) selfreported symptoms such as dry skin and itchy eyes confirmed potentially too low relative humidity levels.

Beneficiary Expectation from Low-Income Housing Projects: A Post-Occupancy Evaluation Study from Punjab, Pakistan

The Pakistani government has been promoting affordable housing projects for low-income households for the last thirty years. It is important to appraise the low-income housing projects from the perceptions of beneficiaries being the ultimate users of such facilities in urban settings. This paper presents an analytical study on the experiences of beneficiaries from the application process to possession of housing units in two different models of affordable housing in the Punjab region, Pakistan. It is challenging to link their experiences as post occupancy evaluation (POE) regarding the application process, living experience, and governance of such housing projects. Analysis was done using inductive reasoning by data collection through focus group discussions. The findings show and confirm that quality of life in a low-income housing environment is a combination of multiple factors which influence the mind of households from the inception of projects till the possession and continue in the post-occupancy phase as well. The funding and execution of projects need to consider the end user demand by the inclusion of targeted beneficiaries in the planning, design, and regulation of the housing projects to ensure the resident’s housing satisfaction in terms of provision of all allied facilities, infrastructure, experience, and quality of living.

The actual performance of retrofitted residential apartments: post-occupancy evaluation study in Italy

ABSTRACT Housing retrofits are undertaken to reduce energy use and to improve ‘occupants’ indoor environmental conditions. Despite increased retrofitting of the Italian housing stock, there is a lack of data on their energy use and indoor environmental quality (IEQ). This paper fills this gap by a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) study of seven retrofitted apartments in northern Italy; a non-retrofitted case study was included as a comparison. The study aimed to understand aspects of IEQ and occupant satisfaction after energy-efficiency retrofits. A mixed-method approach encompassed occupant satisfaction surveys, energy bill comparisons, in-situ indoor air temperature, and relative humidity measurements. Results highlighted ‘occupants’ thermal comfort improvement and heating energy consumption reduction after retrofits. Furthermore, reported preferred indoor temperatures w within a broader range than the recommended Italian regulations and CIBSE guide A standard. However, some participants reported unintended consequences, including mould growth and noise from the mechanical ventilation system. This study shows the potential of POE to understand the actual performance of retrofitted residential buildings. However, the difficulties of conducting a POE in retrofitted existing residential buildings show the need of further research on how to effectively conduct POE in retrofitted residential buildings, including improved digital quality monitoring methods.

Green Behaviors and Green Buildings: A Post-Occupancy Evaluation of Public Housing Estates in Hong Kong

A green building is believed to promote green behaviors from energy-saving to waste recycling. Green building certifications have attracted wide interest, and some were made mandatory for publicly funded developments in cities such as Hong Kong. Policymakers debate whether the city’s expanding public housing stock should be exempted from the green certification mandate for reasons of cost, while evidence of behavioral benefits in green residential buildings is thin, or non-existent for public housing estates. This paper describes a post-occupancy evaluation study on self-reported green behaviors in Hong Kong’s public housing estates. The study subjects are 400 occupants from two pairs of public rental housing estates with or without green certifications. A natural experiment was conducted, in which surveyed occupants were allocated to certified and uncertified estates via a random lottery, without significant differences in socioeconomic characteristics and propensity to green behaviors a priori. The results show that green-certified housing estates partially induced energy-saving behaviors, but not water saving or waste recycling, nor does it enhance satisfaction or green awareness. A certification alone is insufficient to induce behavioral changes, rather, efforts should be invested in conveying the green message, public education, and appropriate fiscal incentives.

Smart Sensing competence for heritage building performance: An Experimental Field Study to Evaluate the Actual Smart Sensing Measurements of Thermal Comfort compared to POE Results

In the past few years, the field of thermal comfort has been using the term smart sensing widely. However, barriers may occur due to the inaccuracy of the data collected by smart sensing. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the thermal comfort of occupied heritage buildings by utilizing post occupancy evaluation (POE) as a tool in addition to smart sensing. The accuracy of the overall evaluation process using POE will be increased. The applicable case study presented in the paper is an office space within a building consider as a heritage building in Downtown Cairo. This paper argues the errors obtained due the inaccuracy of data collected from low-cost smart sensors to provide a list of assumed barriers in order to overcome them. The comparison between a POE study results and the actual thermal measurements results obtained from smart sensors installed to evaluate the office’s thermal comfort through evaluating the data collected for temperature and humidity in the period of 6 months during the summer. On the other hand, a questionnaire was taken by the occupants in the office to apply the POE study. Therefore, the results of both the data collected from sensors and the questionnaire from the POE study to determine the barriers caused by lack of accuracy.

Complexity in the Built Environment: Wayfinding Difficulties in the Modular Design of Qatar University’s Most Iconic Building

Constructed in the 1980s, the BCR Corridors complex is the most iconic building at Qatar University (QU). However, it is also notorious for way-finding difficulties. The problem appears to derive from the repetitive similarity of individual parts in its modular design. Elevators, stairwells, screens, and temporary installations also create impediments to user readability and visibility. Collectively, this tends to complicate its relationship to the immediate context of the university campus. Recently, researchers at QU conducted a post-occupancy evaluation (PoE) of the BCR Corridors. It included (1) direct observation of movement flows and static occupation of space in common areas, (2) room use and photographic surveys, and (3) computer modeling of the spatial layout using space syntax. Space syntax is an international research program of academics and practitioners studying the role of built space in society from the single building to entire cities. The purpose of the PoE study was to understand observed patterns of movement and space use with reference to the problems for way-finding in the BCR Corridors. Based on this, researchers developed proposals for design alterations to enable easier use of the complex. The findings of the study support the above hypothesis about navigation problems in the building.

Comparing user satisfaction of older and newer on-campus accommodation buildings in Australia

PurposeThis paper aims to assess the level of occupants’ satisfaction, comparing older and newer on-campus accommodation buildings in Sydney, Australia, aiming to identify their comfort factors deficiencies in terms of design and construction solutions/strategies (e.g. spatial arrangements, materials, thermal comfort).Design/methodology/approachA post occupancy evaluation survey was used to assess the occupant satisfaction with three on-campus accommodation buildings in The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney. One of the selected buildings is an older building opened for occupation in 1996, and the other two are more recent on campus accommodations buildings. The survey included 11 post occupancy evaluation elements identified through literature review which were categorised into three dimensions: technical, functional and behavioural.FindingsThe results show that the satisfaction levels with thermal and acoustic comfort were below standards for both older and newer buildings. In addition, the older building used in this study was rated low in terms of: indoor air quality, lighting, maintenance and management, vertical transportation facility, room layout and furniture quality, building layout and aesthetics and level of privacy. Such factors related to both functional and behavioural dimensions were of greater satisfaction in newer buildings.Practical implicationsFindings suggest the high priority of strategies that address and improve the thermal and acoustic comfort of older and newer on-campus accommodation buildings if the intention is to enhance students’ satisfaction, especially considering the impact that these facilities have on students’ performance. Thermal performance in different seasons and adaptive thermal comfort activities should be considered in the design of new on-campus accommodation buildings and the retrofit of existing old buildings.Originality/valueOn-campus accommodation is an important facility that supports student learning outcomes and helps students adapt in a new learning environment. A post occupancy evaluation study to assess the adequacy of this facility is still lacking because previous studies have generally focussed on class rooms and work spaces in the education sector. This research compares the user satisfaction of older and newer on-campus accommodation buildings in Australia, to highlight deficiencies and areas for improvement in the design of existing and future buildings.

Earth air heat exchanger, Trombe wall and green wall for passive heating and cooling in premium passive refugee house in Sweden

With the increasing number of migrants and refugees, there is a need for energy-efficient and low impact temporary housing that can accommodate millions of displaced peoples worldwide. This study describes a design proposal for a premium passive refugee house that uses three main passive heating and cooling solutions (Earth Air Heat Exchanger, Trombe wall, and green wall) and is suited to the Swedish climate. The purpose of the combination of the three passive systems is to reduce cooling and heating loads to conserve a significant amount of primary energy and thus mitigate the impact of the house’s energy use on the environment through a reduction in emissions. The house is designed to fulfill its energy needs from renewable sources and produce an annual surplus of 180 kWh/m2/annum. The methodology applied is a dynamic system modeling and simulation approach using TRNSYS and ANSYS software. The simulation results showed a heating load of 7.9 kWh/m2/annum and a cooling load of 2.8 kWh/m2/annum, with total energy consumption reaching 18.4 kWh/m2/annum. Preliminary feasibility costing showed a payback time of 7.4 years out of the 25-years suggested lifetime of building using the three passive solutions. The amount of CO2 emissions is 231.1 kg CO2e/annum with a primary energy demand of 0.032 GJ/m2/annum. As a follow-up to the initial study, a proof of concept has been implemented in Lund, Sweden, in an urban living lab to verify the simulation results through a 12-month post-occupancy monitoring and evaluation study.

A post-occupancy evaluation study of a mixed-income gated community in Cibubur, West Java, Indonesia

Gated communities (GCs) have been demonized as a malicious form of urban segregation because they provide a secure neighbourhood and exclusive facilities. The objective of the Indonesian government policy related to balanced housing is to create mixed-income housing in order to foster interaction between social classes in neighbourhoods and reduce the alarming social gap. This study seeks to validate the occurrence of social interaction among different economic strata in a mixed-income GC. To understand social interaction among its residents, the reasons why residents from different economic strata selected their housing are examined. The research methodology includes a post-occupancy evaluation in a mixed-income GC in Cibubur, West Java, Indonesia, an area known for its high quality neighbourhoods and facilities. This study identifies security as a major housing preference factor for many people living in a mixed-income GC. However, the reduced exclusivity of such facilities decreases their usage frequency, giving rise to trans-cluster social interaction within the same class. This finding contradicts the objective of the balanced housing policy because the residents interact with others in a similar social class beyond the segregated walls of the housing clusters.

Post-occupancy Evaluation Study of the Impact of Daylighting and Electric Lighting in the Workplace

ABSTRACTPost-occupancy evaluations (POEs) have been recognized for documenting occupants’ well-being and responses to indoor environmental quality (IEQ) factors such as thermal, lighting, and acoustic conditions. The Sustainable Post-Occupancy Evaluation Survey (SPOES), an online questionnaire, provides a quantitative analysis of occupants’ satisfaction in workplace, classroom, and residence hall buildings. This article analyzes occupants’ (n = 886) perceptions of daylighting and electric lighting from POE studies conducted across 13 workplace buildings. Further analysis was conducted to explore occupants’ perceptions of how daylighting and electric lighting affect their health and work performance. The results indicated that occupants were more satisfied with the amount of lighting than the adjustability of lighting and that the amount of lighting had a stronger association with overall lighting satisfaction than the adjustability of lighting. Regarding perception of work performance and health, the adjustability of lighting, visual comfort, and quality of task lighting are strongly associated. Lastly, the proximity of occupants’ primary workspaces to a window also affects lighting satisfaction. These results show that lighting as an IEQ factor is clearly related to the amount and adjustability of both daylighting and electric lighting.

Effects of Indoor Environmental Quality on Occupant's Satisfaction, Health and Productivity

Occupant satisfaction with indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in office buildings has been completely related to self-estimated job performance and, probably, to overall company productivity. Poor indoor environmental circumstances can negatively affect occupants’ physical health through poor air quality, extreme temperatures, excess humidity, or insufficient ventilation and psychological health through inadequate lighting, acoustics, and ergonomic design. Sustainable or green building rating systems is attempting to address IEQ and occupant health concerns by providing healthier building environments. Although many qualitative studies claimed that improved IEQ also improves health and productivity and has provided substantial motivation to build green, quantitative studies are needed to prove these relationships. This research shows an outline of the results from a post occupancy evaluation (POE) study on indoor environment, occupant health, and wellbeing in two office buildings in greater Cairo: conventional building and green building certified using the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating System; which is owned and occupied by the same origination. Evaluation of IEQ is based on ‘Building Use Studies’ (BUS) occupant questionnaire which applied in both buildings. This research highlighted that occupants productivity in office buildings can be enhanced through good building design, and provision of a high quality, healthy, and functional interior environment, that takes consideration of basic occupant needs

Confirmatory factor analysis of Post-Occupancy Evaluation Model (POEM) for sustainable neighborhood development

The sustainable urban development growth in the ASEAN region has accelerated tremendously. More demand on the sustainable development has led to bigger market driven certified green neighborhood and buildings. However, there is a lack of post-occupancy evaluation study conducted in assessing the end-users perspective on the certified sustainable neighborhood development. This paper aims to investigate the end-users point of view on sustainable dimension pillar (SDP) adaptation based on environment dimension, social dimension and economic dimension using Post-Occupancy Evaluation Model (POEM) framework. The research methodology employed stakeholders-Inclusion Approach survey questionnaires in order to obtained the sustainable dimensional adaptation score. The results show that there is sustainable dimension gap in POEM evaluation, hence, suggested the pre- occupancy criteria did not fulfill the SDP adaptation and pre-occupancy criteria and variables if differ from post-occupancy criteria and variables.

Exploring mobility & workplace choice in a flexible office through post-occupancy evaluation

Developments in information and communication systems, organisational structure and the nature of work have contributed to the restructuring of work environments. In these new types of work environments, employees do not have assigned workplaces. This arrangement helps organisations to minimise rent costs and increase employee interaction and knowledge exchange through mobility. This post-occupancy evaluation (POE) study focuses on a flexible office in a Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified building in Istanbul. An integrated qualitative and quantitative POE technique with occupancy tracking via barcode scanning and instant surveying has been introduced. Using this unique approach, we examined the directives/drivers in workplace choice and mobility from different perspectives. The aggregated data was used to discern work-related consequences such as flexibility, workplace choice, work and indoor environment satisfaction, place attachment and identity. The results show that employees who have a conventional working culture develop a new working style: ‘fixed-flexible working’.Practitioner Summary: This paper introduces a new POE approach for flexible offices based on occupancy tracking through barcode scanning to explore workplace choice and mobility. More than half (52.1%) of the participants have tended to choose the same desk every day. However, the satisfaction level of the ‘mobile’ employees was higher than that of the ‘fixed flexible’ employees.

A Post-occupancy Evaluation of a Modular Multi-residential Development in Melbourne, Australia

Modular construction has been promoted to minimise the environmental impacts such as construction material use and waste, embodied energy and carbon emissions as well as construction time and cost reduction. Although the main focus has been on the construction technology, waste minimisation, energy and material efficiency and thermal performance of modular construction, limited attention has been paid to the building occupants. This paper aims to evaluate the resident lived experience of a modular multi-residential development in inner Melbourne. The case study building accommodates a total of 199 apartments and commercial spaces, and to date, it is the largest modular construction building in Victoria. A post-occupancy evaluation (POE) was conducted using the Building Use Survey (BUS) methodology. Overall building design, thermal comfort, noise, lighting and personal control over the indoor environment were evaluated on a seven-point Semantic differential scale. Although the building occupant survey showed a high level of satisfaction with overall building design and performance, two main issues, ‘thermal discomfort in summer’ and ‘noise from outside’ were identified. Overheating in summer is not clearly understood in this study, however, it could be interpreted that passive design strategies such as cross ventilation and landscaped shared open space increased noise. A further research on the effects of building design on occupants such as engineered light-weight concrete floor, prefabricated building façade, cross-ventilation, operable openings and the cooling systems of the individual apartments is necessary to resolve the issues and to examine whether the poor thermal performance in summer could be related to modular construction. This case study building was developed as a commercially replicable pilot, providing affordable and sustainable high-density housing in Melbourne's inner suburbs. Thus, it is expected that this POE study could provide an insight into the interaction between the building and its occupants, particularly in the context of modular construction, and further contribute to developing high-performance modular multi-residential buildings.

On a Post-occupancy Evaluation Study of Effects of Occupant Behavior on Indoor Environment Quality in College Buildings in Chongqing

Some field studies of the effect of college buildings environment parameters on environmental and study satisfaction were conducted in Chongqing of China. A post-occupancy evaluation (POE) approach was used to analyze the survey results of building occupant satisfaction and the measured indoor environment quality. Occupants completed a questionnaire related to environmental satisfaction. Meanwhile, a long-term objective measurement was proceeding to characterize the immediate environment experienced by the occupants. This study analyzed the subjective and objective measurements of indoor environment quality (IEQ) from four parts: thermal environment, indoor air quality (CO2), visual and acoustic environment. The data collection for these studies was based on full consideration of user’s energy consumption habits and environmental control behavior in using HVACs. This offered the opportunity to compare the study results at the user side demand level, with the goal of identifying parameters consistent in affecting occupant satisfaction.

When good design intentions do not meet users expectations : exploring Qatar University campus outdoor spaces

Investigating the description of the Architect of Qatar University Campus reveals that one of the initial intentions in the design of the campus was to introduce a series of open public spaces and partially covered courtyards, displaying gardens and fountains to create small oases throughout the university. These spaces intended to encourage intellectual and social atmosphere and to provide agreeable surroundings for informal gathering and activities. However, preliminary observations of these spaces show that the original purpose for which they were created seems to be un-satisfied. Strikingly, no attempt has been made to systematically evaluate the performance of these spaces with respect to the use of the university community. Thus, this paper engulfs the issue of design intention versus users’ reactions by conducting a post occupancy evaluation study. It introduces an assessment of the performance of Qatar University-QU campus outdoor spaces from users’ perspective after it has been used and occupied for over 20 years. The assessment aims at understanding the mutual interaction process between the built environment exemplified by the physical characteristics of campus outdoor spaces and the needs of the university community exemplified by students, faculty, and staff. Therefore, the paper argues for the value of evaluating current campus outdoor spaces from users’ perspective. It aims at defining problematic areas related to the utilization of current spaces—that are contrasted with the architect’s design philosophy and intentions—in order to develop a framework for possible future improvements. The methodology adopted is multilayered in nature and incorporates a wide variety of assessment techniques, including walk-through evaluation, observation, behavioral mapping, and questionnaires. The investigation reveals a number of problems that may hinder the performance of different types of QU campus users. The paper concludes that by recognizing how well university campus outdoor spaces respond to the needs of faculty, students, and staff, one can recommend ways of improving the outdoor environment necessary to facilitate the work and learning experiences of different users within the campus and the desired student-faculty interaction.

Post-occupancy evaluation of a restored industrial building: A contemporary art and design gallery in Mexico

This paper presents the results obtained from a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) study conducted in an old fabric building called “La Violeta”. This structure has been recently converted into a contemporary art gallery. La Violeta is located in Puebla City, Mexico. The building dates from the beginning of the 19th century; it was built and used as a textile factory until the first decades of the 20th century. This POE study aims to assess the new use of the building from the users׳ point of view. Methodology involves historical research of the building, analysis of the conversion strategy, walkthrough investigation, and a user survey. Questions regarding the re-utilization strategy used in the building and its current use are included in the survey, such as “How do people perceive the space regarding its functionality, accessibility, and comfort?” Although the re-utilization process destroyed several historic elements, the re-use of old industrial spaces that otherwise would be obsolete and disused seems pertinent. Developing small renovation projects as part of an integral and wider project seems feasible. Users perceive the building as comfortable but not properly advertised as an art gallery, and its location is difficult to find.

Completing the missing link in building design process: Enhancing post-occupancy evaluation method for effective feedback for building performance

This paper provides a review of the improvements in the evaluation of building performance and introduces a new method for post-occupancy evaluation (POE) to complete the missing link in the building design process. Existing studies were reviewed to understand the possible reasons for the missing link of “building performance feedback”. The intention of this paper is to set out a new vision for how future post-occupancy evaluation can close the building performance feedback loop to better inform building design. The spatial mapping method adopted extends the use of building information modeling (BIM), which has shown great potential for the future of the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry, and uses geographical information systems (GIS), which is a powerful tool for analyzing and visualizing relationships between geographical units and their data.This study explores how to establish a communication platform for different stakeholders in order to engage them in the collaborative effort of continuous building performance improvement by using the results of POE embedded into BIM. In this paper, the experiences of a POE study of a LEED® Platinum building and a historical building on a university campus are reported as examples to illustrate the proposed new method.

Spatial mapping of occupant satisfaction and indoor environment quality in a LEED platinum campus building

This paper reports a post-occupancy evaluation study of a LEED Platinum building on a university campus. A multiple-tool POE approach with GIS-based spatial mapping method was used to analyze and visualize the survey results of building occupant satisfaction and the measured indoor environment quality.The occupants were overall satisfied with the indoor environment in their workspaces in the building of study, though thermal comfort was comparatively low with high percentage of occupants reporting their workspaces too cold. Air movement was found to be lower than preferred by the occupants, especially in interior offices where CO2 level was also predominantly higher. Light levels in the building were found higher than preferred. Electric lighting power density installed did not reflect the fact that daylight is available for most of the lab and office spaces. Satisfaction with speech privacy was found lower in individual offices related to the construction detail of the connection between curtain wall and interior walls.Linking performance outcomes with spatial information improves POE data management. Spatial mapping allows reasons that cause occupant discomfort and dissatisfactory measured performance to be identified more intuitively and makes it potentially easier to communicate POE results with architects, engineers and facility management professionals, in order to engage them in the collaborative effort of continuous building performance improvement.

Perceived Comfort of Indoor Environment and Users’ Performance in Office Building with Smart Elements – case Study

Abstract A greater degree of awareness of comfort and productivity of building users according to post-occupancy evaluation and feedback of users in intelligent buildings is necessary. This report presents a summary of the results from a physical measurements, a post-occupancy evaluation study on perceived comfort of indoor environment and self-evaluation of occupant’s performance in the new multifunctional 5 floor-building in city of Kosice, Slovakia. There were investigated degree of perceived comfort and user’s performance with regard to objective measurement, respondents' response and building character. This case study has highlighted that influence of monitored factors of building with smart elements is positively received and wasn't determined their negative impact on perceived comfort of indoor environment and occupants' performance. Results show that respondents are mostly satisfied with their indoor environment conditions of workplace. Interviews with respondents detected they have not been perceived (negative) factors in workplace because they have been too concentric on the work and they have not felt discomfort.