]One of the areas underutilized by modern architects and designers is in the area of Post Occupation Evaluation. Convincing companies and organizations to commit to POE’s after a job has been signed off can be a daunting task because there is a general malaise around the office and a feeling that all the hard work has been done. Most practitioners have “shut the book” and moved onto other projects…

But the importance of reviewing your work to maintain & uphold professional integrity is recognized in all specialized fields. Without proficient peer review, mistakes can be repeated, ideas stagnate and of course, most importantly, the end user, your client’s wishes ignored.

Here at the Lightbureau, with a background in communication and culture studies, (Literature Language and Culture Curtin University, 1998) we have been conducting Post evaluation studies to discover the positive and negative outcomes of architectural design with an emphasis on lighting. By compiling site specific questionnaires and conducting personal and group interviews with end users, Lightbureau have produced detailed summaries that ensure designers, architects and engineers fully evaluate their projects’ success or failures.

“The POE questionnaire will give an indication of what the users think of the building as a whole, of its interior work environment, including noise and thermal conditions, and especially how the lit environment is experienced and how well the users think that the lighting and daylighting control systems work.

… A systematic survey of the users’ attitudes to the indoor environment can help to understand the merits and problems of daylighting systems and controls as adapted to the specific building and the conditions created by the building design and the use of the building. Dissatisfaction expressed should be used to try to understand where and why problems are found. In this way potential changes can be made to improve the indoor environment…The users’ reactions should also be used as indicators to problems that could be solved by readjusting something technical or rearranging work place layout, i.e. not just be regarded as a negative outcome of the POE. This could be the most efficient way to find out where problems are before they have led to more severe problems like fatigue, strained muscles or even sick leave.

Reference: POE Post occupancy evaluation of daylight in buildings

A Report of IEA SHC TASK 21 / ECBCS ANNEX 29
International Energy Agency: Energy Conservation in Buildings and Community Systems Program

In particular Lightbureau will focus analysis on the success of the PR and marketing of the project ensuring the companies integrity and status within the community.

1. “An improved indoor environmental quality is substantiated with maximising daylight ingress and occupant daylight control. The open planned workstations and meeting spaces have been strategically designed along the perimeter zoning, with private offices and service zones located in the central spine of the floor plates. Zoned office lighting has also been adopted an alternative initiative to increased energy efficiency and user control.”

2. “Offices in the superstructure are offered individual customisation of light, air and views, lowering energy use.”

1. IN THE ARCHITECTS WORDS
http://www.architecture.com.au/awards_search?option=showaward&entryno=2009023413

2. 2009 NSW Architecture Awards | Jury Citations

Below are some examples of our approach and conclusions drawn:
LIGHTING CONDITIONS SURVEY:

The aim of this survey is to gauge the occupants’ opinion of the lighting conditions in their work place environment. The survey complements measurements of daylight and artificial light.
Please complete and return the questionnaire as you are instructed.
Please complete your survey from where you perform most of your job tasks (your work station).
Please do not look directly into luminaries when asked questions about the office lighting.
Be frank and honest in your answers. Your answers will only be used as part of a statistical analysis of our survey.

A review of the lighting parameters set by AS1680.2.2: 2008 reveals that most considerations for the lighting designer have been met, however, as remarked earlier, due to the bias already noted in emails the questionnaire will focus on sections 10.2 Daylighting Systems of the AS1680.1: 2006, and Section 3.5.5, Visual Comfort of AS1680.2.2: 2008

Here are an example extracts from our surveys:

….Participants spent all day in their office and were at their workstation for at least half that time. All used the PC for most tasks, the second most common activity being reading.
Good light was the most important feature “most important to you in making a work place a pleasant one for you to work in”, followed by good ventilation and comfortable temperature. During my appraisal of the office there was a 1 degree temperature difference between workstations placed along side windows to those nearer the internal corridor. ….

It appears that even though the building conforms to the most exacting of contemporary standards and has been rewarded as such, a lack of adequate daylight design and planning, in particular the failure to implement the recommendations of AS/NZ1680.1:2006,

Section 10.2.6 Glazing Recommendations. AS/NZ1680.1:2006
“Therefore tinted and reflective mirrored glazing should not be considered as a general strategy in the design of daylighted interiors.”

The copying centre located off the corridor. Recessed task lighting, (T5’s) and a change from overhead linear fluorescents to CFL downlights

At one end of the office is a soft area for casual meetings
(N.B.; Light fitting of different appearance)