Post occupancy evaluation
Encyclopedia
Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) has its origins in the United States
and has been used in one form or another since the 1960s. Preiser and colleagues define POE as
of how successful the workplace is in supporting the occupying organisation and individual end-user requirements. The BCO also suggests that POE can be used to assess if a project brief has been met. Furthermore, the BCO recommends that POE is used as part of the Evidence-based design
process, where the project usually refers to a building design
fit-out or refurbishment, or to inform the project brief where the project is the introduction of a new initiative, system or process. POE usually involves feedback from the building occupants, through questionnaires, interviews and workshops, but may also involve more objective measures such as environmental monitoring, space measurement and cost analysis.
and qualitative
techniques. Most POEs will involve seeking feedback from the occupants of the place being evaluated; this may be achieved through various survey methodology
including questionnaire
, interview
or focus group
. The occupant feedback may be supplemented by environmental monitoring
, such as temperature, noise levels, lighting levels and indoor air quality. More recently, POEs tend to include sustainable measures such as energy consumption, waste levels, and water usage. Other commonly used quantitative measures include space metrics, for example occupational density, space utilisation and tenant efficiency ratio. Cost, either expressed as the cost of the project per square metre or the total cost of occupancy, is considered a key metric in building evaluation and may be compared with the occupant feedback to provide a better understanding of value.
A post-project POE is usually carried out six to twelve months after the project completion. However, interim project reviews may be carried during the project delivery phase and on completion.
who can offer an impartial assessment of the place undergoing evaluation.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and has been used in one form or another since the 1960s. Preiser and colleagues define POE as
"the process of evaluating buildings in a systematic and rigorous manner after they have been built and occupied for some time"
Purpose of POE
The British Council for Offices (BCO) summarises that a POE provides feedbackFeedback
Feedback describes the situation when output from an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or occurrences of the same Feedback describes the situation when output from (or information about the result of) an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or...
of how successful the workplace is in supporting the occupying organisation and individual end-user requirements. The BCO also suggests that POE can be used to assess if a project brief has been met. Furthermore, the BCO recommends that POE is used as part of the Evidence-based design
Evidence-based design
Evidence-based design often shortened to EBD is a field of study that emphasizes the importance of using credible data in order to influence the design process. The approach has become popular in Healthcare Architecture in an effort to improve patient and staff well-being, patient healing...
process, where the project usually refers to a building design
Building design
Building design refers to the broadly based architectural, engineering and technical applications to the design of buildings. All building projects require the services of a building designer, typically a licensed architect or structural engineer...
fit-out or refurbishment, or to inform the project brief where the project is the introduction of a new initiative, system or process. POE usually involves feedback from the building occupants, through questionnaires, interviews and workshops, but may also involve more objective measures such as environmental monitoring, space measurement and cost analysis.
Components of POE
A POE usually includes a mix of quantitativeQuantitative
A quantitative property is one that exists in a range of magnitudes, and can therefore be measured with a number. Measurements of any particular quantitative property are expressed as a specific quantity, referred to as a unit, multiplied by a number. Examples of physical quantities are distance,...
and qualitative
Qualitative research
Qualitative research is a method of inquiry employed in many different academic disciplines, traditionally in the social sciences, but also in market research and further contexts. Qualitative researchers aim to gather an in-depth understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern such...
techniques. Most POEs will involve seeking feedback from the occupants of the place being evaluated; this may be achieved through various survey methodology
Survey Methodology
Survey Methodology is a peer-reviewed open access scientific journal that publishes papers related to the development and application of survey techniques...
including questionnaire
Questionnaire
A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions and other prompts for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. Although they are often designed for statistical analysis of the responses, this is not always the case...
, interview
Interview
An interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...
or focus group
Focus group
A focus group is a form of qualitative research in which a group of people are asked about their perceptions, opinions, beliefs and attitudes towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging...
. The occupant feedback may be supplemented by environmental monitoring
Environmental monitoring
Environmental monitoring describes the processes and activities that need to take place to characterise and monitor the quality of the environment...
, such as temperature, noise levels, lighting levels and indoor air quality. More recently, POEs tend to include sustainable measures such as energy consumption, waste levels, and water usage. Other commonly used quantitative measures include space metrics, for example occupational density, space utilisation and tenant efficiency ratio. Cost, either expressed as the cost of the project per square metre or the total cost of occupancy, is considered a key metric in building evaluation and may be compared with the occupant feedback to provide a better understanding of value.
Pre and post project evaluation
The term "post occupancy" can be confusing and simply refers to an occupied building rather than a vacant one. As a consequence a POE may be carried out pre- and post-project. Furthermore, POEs may be conducted at regular intervals to monitor how the building facilities and its operation are currently supporting the occupants. A pre-project POE may be used to:- measure project success
- feedbackFeedbackFeedback describes the situation when output from an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or occurrences of the same Feedback describes the situation when output from (or information about the result of) an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or...
and feed-forward - set a baseline for measurement
- establish benchmarkBenchmark-Geology:*Benchmark , a point of reference for a measurement**Benchmarking , an activity involving finding benchmarks*Benchmark , used in pricing crude oil-Technology:...
data - inform the design process
- input to the change managementChange managementChange management is a structured approach to shifting/transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations from a current state to a desired future state. It is an organizational process aimed at helping employees to accept and embrace changes in their current business environment....
programme
A post-project POE is usually carried out six to twelve months after the project completion. However, interim project reviews may be carried during the project delivery phase and on completion.
POE applies to all environments
POE's are not only conducted in offices, the focus of the BCO guide, and there are many published POEs of a variety of other types of environment. For example, learning environments, libraries,, jails, police stations, housing, health centres and even zoos.Independent evaluation
POE is usually carried out by trained professionals with a social science or workplace consulting background. Ideally the POE is conducted by an independent consultantConsultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
who can offer an impartial assessment of the place undergoing evaluation.