Post-occupancy Evaluation Research Articles

Covid-19's lessons for standard building design: Proinfância daycare centers

The Covid-19 pandemic brought changes in the behavior of society, with the suspension of several activities, among them the access of children to schools. This study has as main objective the analysis of the daycare spaces of the Proinfância program regarding the attendance of environmental comfort, dimensioning and salubrity, considering the set of issues brought by the pandemic. To achieve this purpose, analyses were made of the type C Proinfância building, project used in the construction of the school unit chosen as case study: the Unidade Municipal de Educação Infantil Profª Júlia Maria de Almeida Oliveira, in the city of Lagarto, Sergipe. The secondary objectives are: to analyze the specificities of the implementation of this standard building in Lagarto and to analyze the post-occupancy condition during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. The methodological approach of the study is quali-qualitative type, applied on documents provided by the Proinfância website and complemented by case study, with detailing of techniques and procedures to achieve the proposed objectives. The study explores the POE methodology (Post-Occupancy Evaluation) for the object of study, selecting the universe of tools to be applied. These are: walkthrough analysis, study of recommendations and technical analysis by the researcher.

Exploring the Terminology, Definitions, and Forms of Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) in Landscape Architecture

While the concept of Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) is widely applied in landscape architecture and other relevant fields, the term POE is not well-defined. By reviewing and analysing a representative set of POE definitions collected from existing academic and grey literature using content analysis methods, this study aims to enhance understanding of the breadth of the concept and its relevant practices. Our research found that the concept of POE was developed in architecture in the 1970s and subsequently adopted in landscape architecture in the 1980s. With the growth of the field in architecture and its adaptation to landscape architecture, the scope of POE was significantly expanded over recent decades, and with this growth, there have been considerable divergences in definitions and understandings of how to carry out POE. A range of different evaluation objects and four evaluation models were identified by this study. By surveying the conceptual terrain of POE, our research establishes the need for practitioners to be aware of the breadth of the concept and the potential ambiguity surrounding what is meant by the approach. Consequently, practitioners need to be specific and explicit about their understanding of POE. The findings also demonstrate how interdisciplinary differences appear to have been overlooked when adapting POE from one discipline to another. We, therefore, argue that it is crucial to keep shaping and trimming the concept to support the adaption of POE processes into different disciplinary domains.

A simulation-based approach for evaluating indoor environmental quality at the early design stage

People spend about 90% of their time indoors. This extended exposure to indoor conditions affects well-being and performance. Design decisions have a profound impact on IEQ, yet existing IEQ-related assessments normally wait until the post-occupancy evaluation when few opportunities for design improvement exist. This study introduces an efficient simulation-based framework involving parametric modeling to simultaneously quantify the impact of design decisions on all domains of IEQ, namely, thermal comfort, visual comfort, acoustic comfort, and air quality. To achieve this goal, first a set of metrics and corresponding evaluation methods to quantify the four IEQ domains are developed. Then, a number of design parameters that impact multiple IEQ criteria in the design stage including office geometry, facade design, and material properties are investigated. Next, the aggregated score for each domain is presented to measure the room’s IEQ performance. A case study is considered to demonstrate the proposed workflow. The results indicate the importance of considering all comfort domains together, as one design choice might improve one IEQ domain at the cost of others. The proposed workflow is an efficient and effective method for architects and other building stakeholders to compare design scenarios with regards to IEQ performance at preliminary design stages.

Relationship between the design characteristics of activity-based flexible offices and users’ perceptions of privacy and social interactions

ABSTRACT Activity-based flexible offices (AFOs) provide a variety of workspaces to meet the need for social interactions and privacy at work. This study investigates the relationship between the design characteristics of AFOs and users’ perceptions of visual and acoustic privacy and social interactions. This case study is based on post-occupancy evaluations in three AFO layouts at a public service organization in Sweden. A mixed-method approach is adopted that combines questionnaires and layout analysis. In general, the results showed that while aesthetics received the highest satisfaction scores, office functionality, task support, storage and visual and acoustic privacy received the lowest ratings. Key design characteristics for AFOs were operationalized, observed and exemplified: zone diversity, proportion, readability, spatial enclosure, sharing ratios and functionality of furniture and tools. These insights may contribute to better-informed decisions about the design characteristics that influence privacy and social interactions in AFOs.

Post Occupancy Evaluation of Ventilation Coefficient Desired for Thermal Comfort in Educational Facilities

In tropical regions, one sustainable measure identified to attain thermal comfort and energy savings for interior spaces is natural ventilation. However, the ventilation coefficient as a factor for effective passive ventilation required for thermal comfort in educational facilities in warm, humid climates has not been adequately investigated. This study is a post-occupancy evaluation aimed at investigating the ventilation coefficient as a parameter for effective passive ventilation efficiency for good thermal comfort in the classrooms of public primary school buildings in Enugu Metropolis, Nigeria. Among the data collection instruments are two data logging devices (thermo-anemometers -AZ 9871) used to measure air velocity, humidity levels, and temperature outside and inside the classrooms of 60 government primary school buildings in the study area. This selection was based on stratified random sampling techniques. For data analysis, the global ventilation coefficient and linear regression analysis were used. The findings demonstrate that the average natural ventilation efficiency was 80%, which is higher than the global ventilation efficiency standard of 60%. The research results further highlight that colonial classroom prototype buildings have a lower temperature value and ventilation coefficient of 83%, which in turn influenced the thermal comfort conditions of the classrooms investigated. The significance of this study is that the findings contribute to the existing knowledge base that would advance strategic policy formation towards acceleration of the uptake of sustainable and energy-efficient building designs for educational facilities in warm, humid tropical environments. Doi: 10.28991/HEF-2023-04-01-07 Full Text: PDF

The Building That Teaches: Exploring Augmented Reality Affordances in Academic Incubators

Efforts to enhance the experience of interior environments have led to experimentation with augmented reality (AR) technology to encourage users to participate in the built space using their mobile devices. To investigate the role of AR technologies in interior design experiences, we highlight the interdisciplinary design of a mobile AR-application to assess and enhance the effectiveness of building design strategies for a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-Gold academic incubator. Drawing on user feedback data, observations, and in-depth interviews of 15 building occupants, we identified the affordances of mobile-AR for interior design. Our findings suggest approaches for contextualizing post-occupancy user feedback and interior design across the digital-physical spatial continuum and illustrate how AR has the potential to expand the goals of post-occupancy evaluations, beyond improved evaluation to enhancement, by allowing the building to teach occupants about resources while nudging them to utilize spatial features designed to enhance wellness. As hybrid interior environments are becoming more dependent on a convergence of the digital and physical, we found a series of strategies and practices for enhancing user experiences. A key contribution of our research is a framework, grounded in affordance theory, useful for designing and examining hybrid spaces at the intersection of AR and interior design.

A preliminary post-occupancy evaluation of the built-environment in office buildings: a case study from Saudi Arabia

PurposePost-occupancy evaluation (POE) of office buildings, accommodating large number of users, is significantly demanded, to ascertain the provision and upkeep of users' requirements. This paper presents the findings of a POE of an office building located in Saudi Arabia, as a case study.Design/methodology/approachA mixed approach of qualitative and quantitative research activities were conducted to achieve the objective of this study. Previous studies were analyzed to identify 28 performance indicators, grouped under seven technical and functional performance elements in office buildings. A walkthrough served to gain familiarity with the building, and identify the obvious performance defects. Interviews were conducted to solicit the users' perceptions about the performance elements, and initiate discussions based on the findings of the walkthrough. A user satisfaction survey was then deployed to quantify the user's feedback on the performance of the building.FindingsUsers of the case study office building were generally satisfied with all the technical performance elements, except visual comfort. They were also dissatisfied with two functional performance elements, namely office layout and building equipment.Practical implicationsRecommendations were developed to improve the performance of the case study building. The approach followed and the defined indicators can be of practical value to design professionals, administrators and facilities managers, responsible for the design and operation of office buildings.Originality/valueOffice buildings are valuable business capital for their corporate organizations. This study contributes to the facilities management literature, through providing a systematic approach for the quality and performance appraisal of the performance elements of office buildings.

A Study on the Architectural Characteristics and Improvements of WELL Certified Residential Buildings

The purpose of this study is to identify architectural characteristics of WELL certified residential buildings and provide future suggestions. The research methodology involved conducting in-depth case studies on six WELL certified residential buildings. To conduct these case studies, a framework was established by reviewing resources provided by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). Major findings of this study are as follows: First, WELL certification deal with not only physical health but also mental well-being of occupants. It encourages to adopt biophilic design and provides various indoor and outdoor amenities to support occupant health. Second, WELL certification provides qualitative standards considering the relationship between spatial design and occupants’ health, including the categories of air, water, and light. However, there are some limitations that need to be addressed for future applications. First, it is necessary to categorize standards based on the function of residential buildings and provide more specific standards for each building type. Additionally, it is suggested that WELL need to provide the ways that existing buildings can be certified, as the certification currently only applies to new buildings. Lastly, post-occupancy evaluations should be conducted to examine how WELL certification affects occupants’ health.

Innovating digital POE platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case study of co-production in Brazilian social housing

This paper deals with digital POE methods focusing on their reached potential in facilitating the face-to-face experiments demanded by the project. Recognized as a set of methods and instruments applied in environments during use, Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) can help manage the project process, providing diagnoses and recommendations that feed new projects and interventions in environments in use. POE approaches have been continually restructured in the face of new environmental, social, economic and especially technological demands. In early 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic, lockdowns and quarantines made it challenging to continue to apply traditional face-to-face POE-based tools and techniques. Simultaneously, the MORA Housing Research Group was carrying out a research project in the city of Uberlândia (Brazil) focusing on the understanding of the relationship between the incidence of arboviruses in the case study social housing neighbourhood, the occupants’ practices, and the built environment management, through POE. The social distancing measures applied during the Covid-19 pandemic led the research team to transform methods from face-to-face to hybrid ones, comprising digital and physical approaches to co-produce durable solutions against dengue. The work comprises a five stage method using on-shelf digital platforms and designing other 2 specifically for the project’s purposes. By introducing the digital/physical hybrid POE format, the use of social networks and messaging applications significantly reduced the number of necessary visits by researchers to the neighbourhood from 20 to 5 in the first stage of the work, saving a lot of time and effort. The new tools were easy to use for all users. Users reported finding it pleasant to participate in activities with digitally remote researchers. The findings from this project indicate that the incorporation of new digital tools to facilitate physical POE research as a novel hybrid approach provides a successful alternative approach to standard POE processes that are based on face-to-face participation.

Post-occupancy evaluation of the neo-vernacular "courtyard" in contemporary mass housing. Case study: 124 duplex dwellings by the El Miniawy brothers in Biskra (Algeria)

In the vernacular housing, the courtyard is the main structural space, whether by its location, function, or symbolism. The experience of El Miniawy brothers in their project "124 logements CNEP" at Biskra with its typology was promoted as "the alternative" to the conventional and traditional "courtyard house." It was reformulated as a new multi-housing typology. Their approach is based on the conversion of the traditional house’s organisation around the "courtyard" from a horizontal to a vertical one in the contemporary house. This vision is argued by its designers as being inspired by local life way, to reformulate the "courtyard" space in a contemporary living environment. The present paper is an investigation that aims to evaluate this experimental project and see if it succeeded in convincing its residents as an alternative to both conventional contemporary housing and vernacular one. The study is based on two approaches. A literature review of the architects’ arguments to promote the typology they suggest and a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of their project, applied in two steps. The first is observation through architectural surveys and photography, and the second is a questionnaire distributed to project residents. As a main result of the confrontation of the environmental intentions of the architects, with the results of the post-occupancy evaluation, the study showed that the conceptual approach adopted for these "courtyard houses" did not give the results expected by its designers. This was manifested through several parameters studied, but mainly by the declared uses, which are very restricted compared to those provided by the courtyard in the vernacular habitation.

A determination of the smartness level of university campuses: the Smart Availability Scale (SAS)

Technological developments on university campuses are among the most recently investigated topics, but the whole notion of a smart campus has yet to be developed. A smart campus can only be comprehended as a whole, which is why it requires an extensive planning process. This article investigates the required smart campus services with a holistic approach. The smart campus concept has been defined by three major categories: smart building, the scope, and the technology, and then the aspects that affect these categories are defined. A fundamental calculation has been constructed based on the smart campus concept created with newly consolidated categories and a case study with post-occupancy evaluations. The Smart Availability Scale (SAS) calculation is based on superimposing two matrices: campus system output and weighted value matrix. For this calculation, the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method was adopted using newly created index parameters and categories. The technologies selected for this research are based on the most recent developments. It extracted valuable conclusions and inferences from this smart campus conceptual framework, providing insights and directions toward the required calculation technique for the services offered by the smart campus. During the evaluation period of traditional to smart universities, this research draws an outline and guidance for the stakeholders of the affiliated campus.

An Examination of the Challenges of Post Occupancy Evaluation of University of Benin Staff Quarters, Benin, Nigeria

The research examined the challenges of post occupancy evaluation of University of Benin Staff Quarters. It identified the problems associated with post occupancy evaluation of buildings. The data for this study was collected through structured questionnaires administered on occupants of the Senior and Junior Staff Quarters of the University of Benin which were 209 and 57 respectively. The data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics such as Frequency Distribution Table, Mann Whitney U and Factor Analysis. The study revealed that occupants of the Senior Staff Quarters opined that the major problem associated with Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) was that POE is not regarded as part of an architect’s “normal services (ranked 1 st with mean value of 4.5303). The study further revealed that occupants of the Junior Staff Quarters were of the opinion that the major problem associated with POE was that POE does not fall into the skill set of any particular field of study (ranked 1 st with mean value of (4.9200). It is therefore recommended that POE should be embedded into all construction projects to make built environment better and more collaborations should be encouraged among professionals in built environment. Key Words: Post Occupancy Evaluation, University and Buildings DOI: 10.7176/ADS/103-5 Publication date: February 28 th 2023

Examining Efficiency in Open-Bay and Single-Family Room NICU Designs.

There is growing awareness of the relationship between physical work environments and efficiency. Two conflicting factors shape efficiency in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) environment: the move to single-family rooms (SFRs) and increased demand for care, requiring growth in unit size. The goal of this research was to understand the impact of SFR NICUs on efficiency factors such as unit design, visibility and proximity, staff time, and workspace usage by various health professionals. A pre-/postoccupancy evaluation assessed a NICU moving from an open-bay to an SFR unit composed of 6 neighborhoods. A NICU patient care manager and researchers in design and communication implemented a multimethodological design using staff surveys, observations, and focus groups. Outcomes revealed SFR NICUs contribute to increased efficiency and overall satisfaction with design. Outside of staff time spent in patient rooms, decentralized nurse stations were the most frequented location for staff work, followed by huddle stations, medication and supply rooms, and corridors. Work at the observed locations was largely performed independently. Survey outcomes reported increased feelings of isolation, but focus groups revealed mixed opinions regarding these concerns. Design solutions found to enhance efficiency include a neighborhood unit design, standardized access to medications and supplies, and proximity of supplies, patient rooms, and nurse workstations. Although feelings of isolation were reported and most staff work was done independently in the patient room, the SFR unit might not be the culprit when considered alongside staff's desire to be closer to the patient room.

High-rise apartment quality evaluation and related demographic factors: lesson from RentSafeTO programme

ABSTRACT With the rapid increase in urbanization and the number of residents living in high-rise apartment buildings, the quality of living environments in terms of the facility, safety and hygiene of high-rise housing has become an important topic. Although numerous studies have investigated occupant satisfaction through subjective assessment, only few studies have used objective assessment methods, such as expert evaluation, to elucidate the quality of high-rise apartments and the related occupancy factors. According to the dataset from Toronto's RentSafeTO programme, which provides the results for 9928 high-rise apartments evaluated using 20 quality indicators, this study conducted a factor analysis and identified two main factors for assessing high-rise housing: building structure and building facilities. Furthermore, this study used multiple regression models and census data to analyse the housing quality at the regional level. The results of social housing and private housing differed. Labour force attributes, education, immigration and ethnic origin significantly affected the quality of private housing. The results provide important directions for the post-occupancy evaluation of high-rise apartments. In addition, demographic factors significantly affected residential quality. This study provides a basis for the government to formulate equal and unbiased support for high-rise building maintenance and management.

A Mapping Model of the Sustainability Hospital Buildings in Post Occupancy Evaluation: A Bibliometric Analysis

Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) has proven to be an important tool for assessing interior environmental quality and a useful strategy for continuous building quality improvement in addition to standard tools. This study aims to provide an integrated evaluation model for occupant needs by investigating how the Sustainability Hospital Buildings are related to POE. This research employs a qualitative method with Bibliometric Analysis. The information used in this study was obtained by searching the keywords "Post Occupancy Evaluation" in the Scopus database from 2010 to February 2022. The identification of the time range resulted in the discovery of 305 documents. Overall, the sustainable Buildings scores were positively associated with intelligent buildings (r= 0,584). In addition, the sustainable Buildings had a significant relationship with low-energy buildings, low carbon building design, green building performance, and green buildings with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.5833 to 0.550. Concurrently, Hospital Building and sustainable building design showed a correlation (r= 0,538). Therefore, with the aspect of the sustainable Building in the hospital can determine a strategy for designing hospital buildings that produce results hospital management will be able to keep the building's quality, both in terms of indoor air quality and comfort. Keywords: Post occupancy evaluation, Sustainability Building, Bibliometric, Hospital

Towards an integrative analysis of underground environment and human health: a survey and field measurement approach

PurposeDue to land resource scarcity, sustainable urban development in high-density cities has long been challenging. As such, many cities are formulating plans to “dig deep”, resulting in more citizens working and/or staying underground for longer periods of time. However, owing to the particularities of underground space, the factors involved in the creation of a healthy environment are different from those involved in aboveground developments. This study thus aims to investigate the influences of various underground environment factors on users' health through a holistic approach.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve this aim, 12 underground sites and 12 corresponding aboveground sites are selected for a large-scale questionnaire survey, resulting in 651 survey samples. The survey covers post-occupancy evaluation of health (physical and psychosocial), underground environmental quality (visual, thermal, acoustic comfort, indoor air quality and ventilation), space design and greenery. Independent-sample T-test, Pearson correlation, multiple regression modelling and structural equation modelling are used to investigate whether significant differences exist between health of underground and aboveground users, and to develop an underground environment-health model for unveiling the significant associations between underground environment factors and users' health. To cross validate the results, an objective field measurement study is further conducted on six underground sites. The objective measurement results are used to cross validate the survey results.FindingsThe questionnaire results provide the following evidence: (1) health of underground users is significantly poorer than that of their aboveground counterparts; (2) underground development users' health is significantly affected by space design, greenery and environmental quality in terms of thermal comfort, indoor air quality, ventilation and acoustic comfort but not visual comfort; and (3) amongst the various identified factors, space design has the strongest predicting effects on human health. The field study echoes the survey findings and further unveils the relationships between different environmental factors and human health.Originality/valueThe results shed light on the importance of distinguishing between underground developments and aboveground ones in various guidelines and standards, especially those related to space management.

The post-renovation indoor environmental quality in a research institute: 3D visualization in the map

This study aims to evaluate and analyse how a renovation impacts occupant satisfaction through a pre-and post-occupancy evaluation with physical measurements and occupant satisfaction survey. The study was performed for the HVAC renovation of a research institute in Korea. Online occupant survey was conducted in 2021 winter before renovation and in 2022 summer after renovation. Both surveys were performed by using Korean Building Occupant Survey System (K-BOSS) which is integrated building open data including spatial information. The physical measurements through sensors were conducted simultaneously with surveys. In terms of sensor measurement, representative IEQ factors such as temperature, relative humidity, CO2 concentration, and illuminance were measured. The surveys included three main indoor environmental quality categories such as thermal comfort, air quality, lighting environment. The measured results were analysed via T-test. As a result, the study found a statistically significant improvement with HVAC renovation about relative humidity in physical measurements and thermal comfort, air quality, overall occupant satisfaction in the survey. The results are displayed in the 3D (three dimensional) indoor map to help intuitively view gap between pre- and post-occupancy evaluation. Overall, the pre- and post-occupation evaluation survey analyses supported the beneficial effects of IEQ in the renovated building. In conclusion, the study provides a thorough examination of the effect on occupant satisfaction with IEQ of the data-driven changes collected from pre- and post-occupancy evaluation surveys.

Post Occupancy Evaluation of the Luminous Environment in Algerian University Classrooms

The luminous environment is one of the most important physical parameters in a teaching space (classroom) due to its impact on the intellectual performance of students, their health and their behavior. The aim of this study is to evaluate the luminous environment in university classrooms located in Constantine, the main university hub of the East of Algeria. A Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) based on the objective and subjective assessment was carried out at the Department of Psychology of Constantine 2 University in North and West facing classrooms. This study was conducted during the three periods: winter, spring and summer, under clear sky and overcast sky conditions. The objective variables measured by a luxmeter during each course session are: indoor illuminance levels (Ei) on work plan, vertical illuminance levels on boards (Ev), uniformity index (Uo) and outdoor illuminance levels (Ex). At the same time, students perception and satisfaction were reported by a longitudinal questionnaire (N=1221) using subjective scales. The objective assessment shows that the mean interior illuminance is dependent of the sky-type, and it varies with outdoor illuminance. We notice that illuminance levels in north classroom are below the recommended value especially under overcast sky. The illuminance levels in west facing classroom are excessive during the afternoon under clear sunny sky. However, students show a remarkable degree of adaptation to different light levels. They use controls to modify the light level at their work plans.

Sustainable Well-being of Rural Environment：Elderly-oriented Evaluation of Outdoor Public Space Design in Suburban Villages - A Case Study of Beijing

As societal developments progress and perceptions shift, there is a discernible aging trend in the global population. This trend results in a growing number of elderly individuals left living alone, leading to the development of loneliness and isolation among older people, which has seriously affected their state of mind and body in their twilight years. In this study, Post-occupancy Evaluation (POE) was conducted to construct an evaluation index system based on the following standard layers: Accessibility, Security, Comfortableness, Identifiability, Convenience, Wellness and Aesthetics. The index system analyzes the suitability of elderly care in 15 villages in suburban areas of Beijing, China, and the key findings are threefold: (1) It is essential to improve the site’s defenses against particular climates according to the actual situation and enhance the comfort of the whole day and year. These are also factors that need to be considered in order to increase the motivation of older persons to use outdoor public spaces. (2) The evaluation results have been further refined and classified, unveiling four predominant concerns: Insufficient safety measures, Poor comfort, and Limited social interaction are the main factors affecting the motivation of the elderly to participate in outdoor activities. (3) After synthesizing the results of qualitative and quantitative analysis, the following conclusions were drawn: Recommendations to enhance these public spaces for the elderly in suburban villages emphasize: Reducing the safety hazards of the space, Improving the comfort of rest, relaxation, socializing, fitness, Avoiding the functional areas of motion and static influence each other, Paying attention to the healing function of the space to be effectively segregated. In conclusion, it is hoped that the results of the evaluation will improve the motivation of older people to engage in outdoor activities and guide them to face aging with a positive attitude.

Post-Occupancy Evaluation through University Campuses: Case Studies of Two Large Academic Buildings

Post-Occupancy Evaluation through University Campuses: Case Studies of Two Large Academic Buildings