Post-occupancy evaluation

Post occupancy evaluation (POE) is the process of systematically evaluating the performance of a building ‘in use’ – that is, once occupants move in. POE gathers feedback from the building’s users, to understand how well the spaces meet their requirements. POE findings can be used to ‘fine-tune’ building services and make improvements to the usability of the spaces.

Evaluation is an essential tool in understanding a building’s performance and facilitating improvements in the construction industry as part of an evidence-based design approach. Lessons can be learnt from cumulative data from other buildings, which can build a business case for a specific solution.

Changes should happen as a result of the evaluation. These should meet the aims set at the start of the project and as further evaluations are conducted results should be recorded and monitored.

This section is maintained by Carrie Behar of Useful Projects.

Checklist: Post-occupancy checklist

RICS journal article: The benefit of hindsight: Post-occupancy evaluation