Post Occupancy Evaluation

Post Occupancy Evaluation – what is POE and why conduct one?

Buildings often fail to meet the intended levels of performance specified by clients and designers. This ‘performance gap’ means that significant improvements in building performance are achievable. A post-occupancy evaluation (POE) is a structured process for evaluating whether a building meets needs and expectations. POEs are an important tool in understanding the factors in any discrepancies between desired and achieved levels of performance, while offering valuable insights for improving a building’s performance or management, allowing facility managers to improve conditions, sustainability, optimise building services, etc. 
There are many elements that can form a POE, as requirements will depend upon the specifics of the project/building and the insights desired by the client. Data on the in-use building is then collected, generally between a 6 and 12 month period post-occupation. The data collected commonly covers:

• Energy performance 
• Water consumption
• Indoor environmental quality
• Performance of key building services
• Occupants’ perceptions of quality, comfort and usability
• Running costs
• Quality of communication between key stakeholders regarding important building information
•  Additional elements based on project/building specifics and the client’s desired learnings

These aspects of performance may be assessed using several methods, both quantitative and qualitative. Every POE includes gathering feedback about various themes from relevant stakeholders (e.g. occupants, facilities managers, design teams, etc.). Methods to gather this information generally include interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, and guided walk-throughs of the facility. Additional insights may be obtained through analysis of data captured by monitoring equipment, such as energy and water metering/sub-metering and indoor environmental condition sensors. The fullest picture of building performance often requires combining several of these methods.

We offer POE for public buildings, commercial property owners, house builders, Registered Social Landlords, for new build and major refurbishments. POE can also be used to obtain credits under BREEAM New Construction.