Going back to buildings once they’ve been occupied is a vital part of creating buildings that really work as intended. This post occupancy feedback helps us to understand how people interact with buildings and where energy is being used, with all of this learning then feeding back into the existing and new projects.

We have a dedicated Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) service that can be tailored to a variety of sectors and client requirements. This might involve carrying out a very "light touch" POE - where we simply talk to the people responsible for the day-to-day running of the building and collect energy meter readings - through to more in-depth studies, where we might review the controls and building management systems, carry out occupant questionnaires and interviews, interrogate energy sub-metering, and even undertake environmental monitoring of the conditions inside the building.

The aim is to always improve on the knowledge of how buildings actually perform in reality. This ensures that we, and our collaborators, are constantly evolving our understanding of how to deliver buildings that are a joy to occupy and use as little energy as possible. We believe that POE is essential in helping to deliver buildings that achieve net zero carbon in operation.

We can carry out occupant surveys using the BUS methodology, create bespoke surveys, carry out energy audits, produce display energy certificates, or create a tailored service to understand how to drive down energy consumption and improve occupant comfort, health and wellbeing. When evaluating occupant comfort, we call on our specialist expertise in thermal comfort, acoustics and lighting, to provide additional advice.

We have also been part of Government funded POE research via Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), which have involved us collaborating with universities and clients in both the residential and education sectors. POE also forms a vital part of our Soft Landings service, for which we were awarded BSRIA Soft Landings Practitioner of the Year 2019.

If you are interested in finding out more about our POE service or have a project that you'd like us to get involved in, please contact Tom McNeil.