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Colleges and universities are becoming increasingly data driven. Architects and engineers are embracing lean design, and sustainable, high-performance buildings are becoming the norm.

Institutions are now more strategic about their building projects to ensure they achieve campus goals. For these reasons and more, post-occupancy evaluations (POEs) that measure performance and success are needed now more than ever.

Unfortunately, most institutions lack the key components for conducting POEs: a consistent, rigorous methodology, baseline data for comparison, benchmark data for context, and a culture of assessment and continuous improvement to act on the evaluation鈥檚 findings and recommendations.

As a campus facilities leader, if you want to better measure and improve the performance of your projects and teams, this post will help you understand what a POE is, why you should conduct them, what you should consider measuring, the methodology and tools you can use, the process to follow, and tips for getting started.

What is a post-occupancy evaluation?

A POE measures three interdependent areas of performance:

1. Technical performance: This includes the building’s performance in areas like energy and water usage, space occupancy and utilization, embodied carbon, and lifecycle cost.
2. Social performance: This assesses the success of the facilities in providing accessible, inclusive, and functional environments where users feel a sense of belonging and engagement, are satisfied, and work comfortably and productively.
3. Strategic performance: This evaluates the degree to which a facility achieves its goals, such as enabling active learning, supporting chance encounters, achieving net zero energy, or operating cost efficiency.

Successful building performance evaluation combines quantitative and qualitative data from surveys, interviews, observations, workshops, and other data sources like energy or service utilization. Mixing methods is critical to validate the analysis; for instance, comparing survey results with focus group feedback or campus utility data with the Building Management System (BMS).

Why conduct a post-occupancy evaluation?

POEs help measure performance and success, communicate results effectively, build momentum through participation, and foster a culture of evidence-based design. They also promote continuous improvement on campus, ensuring each project informs the next. Buildings are always evolving, so space should be seen as a dynamic service, not a fixed product completed upon move-in.

For example, to measure the success of new creative, collaborative technology spaces at NYU, we compared student satisfaction surveys taken before and after the renovation, analyzed anonymous software usage data, observed the new spaces in use, interviewed users, and conducted focus groups. These activities combined to tell the project’s success story, including 93% satisfaction with technology and a 63% reduction in email and social media use, aligning with the project’s goals.

Types of post-occupancy evaluations

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) defines three types of POEs, which can be thought of as tiers:

1. Light Touch POE: A simple, rapid evaluation conducted post-occupancy, before the building contract concludes.
2. Diagnostic POE: Conducted in the second year of occupation, this verifies the building’s performance and reviews any issues discovered.
3. Detailed or Forensic POE: A comprehensive investigation, often by independent evaluators, to identify and resolve significant and persistent performance issues.

Core components of POEs

Regardless of the depth or type of POE, there are typically five core components:

1. User Surveys: Gathering feedback from building occupants about their experiences, satisfaction, and suggestions for improvement.
2. Interviews: Talking with building managers, maintenance staff, and other stakeholders to gather their perspectives.
3. Observations: Conducting site visits to assess the building’s physical condition, layout, and functionality, and recording how occupants use the building and systems.
4. Building Performance Monitoring: Collecting data on energy and water consumption, indoor air quality, temperature, humidity, and other relevant factors.
5. Analysis, Reporting, and Communication: Analyzing the collected data and preparing a comprehensive report that highlights key findings, recommendations, and lessons learned, and sharing these findings with key stakeholders.

What to measure in POEs

The measures within a POE correspond to the three types of performance:

• Technical Performance: Usage and functionality, typically determined by mining usage and transaction data. This might include data on space utilization, support services, or energy usage.
• Social Performance: The success of facilities in providing accessible, inclusive, and functional environments. This is often determined through surveys, interviews, focus groups, and observations.
• Strategic Performance: The degree to which a facility achieves its goals, such as enabling active learning, supporting chance encounters, achieving net zero energy, or operating cost efficiency.

Guidelines for measuring performance

To measure performance effectively, follow these principles:

1. Don鈥檛 Start from Scratch: Review and incorporate industry guidance for consistency and comparability.
2. Assess Relative to Targets and Goals: Determine how well the facility met its stated objectives.
3. Compare Before and After: Conduct pre-occupancy evaluations to determine needs and compare post-occupancy results.
4. Combine Data for a Full Picture: Use a mix of quantitative and qualitative data, and compare internal data with external benchmarks.
5. Measure Activities When Outcomes Aren鈥檛 Measurable: Use activities as proxies for success when direct measurement is challenging.

Process for conducting a POE

The POE process involves:

1. Defining Research Questions and Hypotheses: Identify key questions and hypotheses to guide data collection and analysis.
2. Compiling and Analyzing Existing Data: Use pre-occupancy data, service transactions, space usage data, and more.
3. Gathering New Data: Conduct surveys, observations, intercept interviews, and workshops.
4. Creating Findings and Recommendations: Combine data to create actionable insights and share them with stakeholders.

Getting started with POEs

To get started with POEs, consult existing resources and leverage campus expertise. Use dashboards to disseminate building performance data and integrate POEs with instructional and research activities. Start by gathering pre-occupancy data to establish a baseline for comparison.

Our hope is that the design process will become more data-driven, high-performance buildings will become the norm, and campuses and architects will embrace a culture of feedback and continuous improvement. As a facilities leader, you can make this happen by using POEs to measure success, communicate results, build momentum, and enable a culture of evidence-based design. Good luck as you move ahead!