What is the benefit of Post Occupancy Evaluation?

At Arbor Architects, we are constantly striving to improve the performance of our buildings; making them more comfortable to occupy, lower cost to run and ensuring they have a positive impact on both the building users and their local environment.

Photo Credit: Carrie Potter

The way we do this is by constantly reviewing how our buildings perform after occupation, gathering feedback from building users and recording lessons learnt to inform future projects. This process is called Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE), and it involves the gathering and review of both data relating to the building's energy use and feedback relating to the user's satisfaction and comfort levels. Crucially, this feedback can then inform our approach to future projects and ensures we are continuously improving.The feedback we gather includes a client questionnaire to review how the building has met the desired outcomes and aspirations of the people who inhabit the spaces. This helps us understand if the initial brief was achieved and whether there are any improvements that can be made to the design process to ensure we are always exceeding our clients expectations.

We also gather feedback about the operation and maintenance of the building; this will include reviewing operational energy consumption in relation to the predictions modelled at design stage. We will also review the performance of ventilation systems, the effectiveness of the lighting and acoustic design, as well as how easy the building systems are to operate and maintain.

In summary, POE closes the feedback loop between design and use. It turns buildings into living case studies—each one teaching us how to build better environments for people. Whether it's an office, school, hospital, or home, checking back in after completion isn't just good practice—it's smart design.