Evaluating What Works

How do we gauge the success of a new building? The answer is Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE). POE is used widely in the commercial sector to see whether new and refurbished buildings are meeting the needs of users. With funding from DfES, we have collaborated with Pringle Brandon, a firm of architects, to pilot a school specific POE tool which is flexible enough to apply to any type or size of school, as well as being able to review hard design issues like heating, lighting and ventilation and soft design issues, such as whether users feel safe and secure.

We have tested the tool on 3 schools in the initial pilot phase and have now asked Fielden Clegg Bradley Architects, BRE and Place Group Ltd to undertake a further 6 pilots and advise us on the POE tool. A summary of the findings is available as a PDF download here (108kb).