Download our latest guidance on Post Occupancy and Building Performance Evaluation and learn how to embed this service in your practice and projects.
Helping clients get the best out of their projects is the main reason for evaluating a building. Beginning by looking at a client’s motives for embarking on a project – their desired project outcomes – evaluations can get to the core of the client’s and occupants’ needs and fine tune the way the building delivers these.
Post Occupancy (or Building Performance) Evaluations also help designers to close the performance gap, that of designed energy and organisational performance, and the actual measured performance of these areas.
The more designers, clients and other members of project teams learn about how their buildings perform in use, the better their next buildings are likely to meet the complex needs of the clients and occupants – completing a virtuous circle of learning.
The Primer proposes a structure for undertaking an evaluation and a schedule of POE/BPE services. It also points out useful technical guides from across the construction industry.
This report, from the RIBA and the University of Reading, stresses the importance of architects revisiting and learning from their buildings in use through Post Occupancy Evaluation and shows that it can be a simple and straightforward process. It fits into a wider RIBA agenda of supporting the development of the research culture within architecture to encourage continuous learning and improvement in building design and performance, but crucially, also, to enable architects to evidence the value of their work.
Highlighting the value of regular Post Occupancy Evaluations for public sector projects, this report outlines steps Ministers can take to roll this approach out across Government Departments. This can help maximise building performance and user-friendliness, ensure best practice in successive projects, and demonstrate how effectively architects, builders and other partners are spending public money.
The RIBA Insurance Agency has confirmed that architects with an RIBA Insurance Agency professional indemnity insurance policy are covered to undertake Post Occupancy Evaluation / Building Performance Evaluation services, but recommend that practices that are going to offer these services inform the RIBA Insurance Agency of their intention to do so.
Read our initial response to the Grenfell Inquiry’s Phase 2 Report, published on Wednesday 4 September 2024.
Learn more about both the similarities and contrasts in both roles under the new Building Regulations regime.
Learn more about obligations from the client side, and what they can pass on to architects and other clients alike.
