The work doesn’t stop when the project is completed. A targeted analysis of how people use the spaces can provide actionable data for clients and designers.
Post-occupancy evaluations (POEs) can be a valuable tool for facility managers, education leaders and project owners, providing a road map for what worked and what didn’t. The information can be used to guide future investments, educate users and ensure that the environments are being employed to their full potential.
But POEs only work if they are structured to efficiently produce actionable data that can be considered in the context of the project’s larger goals. Far too often, POEs are seen as too complicated, time consuming or expensive. Or worse, the analysis isn’t structured to produce the type of results that provide a return-on-investment.
“We want to learn what design strategies should be repeated in future projects, what space use training may be needed and what to design differently in future projects,” says Kimari Phillips, LPA’s research manager.
LPA’s research team has been working with clients in recent years to hone the process and focus on developing results that provide value to the entire design team. In some cases, the data has illustrated that spaces were not used as intended or were used in surprising ways; other studies found design strategies worked effectively and could be employed in future projects.
For example, a recent post-occupancy evaluation of Menchaca Elementary School in Austin, Texas, found that outdoor spaces were being used effectively for nature-based play, creativity and student exploration; students and teachers appreciated access to daylight; and corners, nooks and small group rooms were providing restorative opportunities for students. But the study also found that, in some spaces, acoustics could be improved, furniture could be better deployed to take advantage of the spaces, and more individual seating was needed in some areas.
