Joe Williams

Awarded VEIV EngD

The main aim of this project is to quantitatively determine the operational performance of newly built, low-energy schools. This will be achieved by examining discrepancies between the design and the actual building in four predominant areas; building energy performance, building systems installation, building use, and the internal environment performance. While each of these areas can be investigated separately, in order to provide a complete understanding of the building the interrelationship of these areas has to be discerned.

Through utilising current post-occupancy evaluation tools and developing new procedures and methods for evaluating the performance of schools, it is hoped that the reasons for the discrepancies will become clear. It is this development of new procedures and methods of post-occupancy evaluation that will form the core of this project. These new tools will aim to not only review the quantitative aspects of building design, but also the more qualitative aspects as well, such as user satisfaction and quality of the learning environment.

The main aim of this project is to quantitatively determine the operational performance of newly built, low-energy schools. This will be achieved by examining discrepancies between the design and the actual building in four predominant areas; building energy performance, building systems installation, building use, and the internal environment performance. While each of these areas can be investigated separately, in order to provide a complete understanding of the building the interrelationship of these areas has to be discerned.

Through utilising current post-occupancy evaluation tools and developing new procedures and methods for evaluating the performance of schools, it is hoped that the reasons for the discrepancies will become clear. It is this development of new procedures and methods of post-occupancy evaluation that will form the core of this project. These new tools will aim to not only review the quantitative aspects of building design, but also the more qualitative aspects as well, such as user satisfaction and quality of the learning environment.

Primary Supervisor: Dejan Mumovic

Industry Sponsor: Feilden Clegg Bradley

Performance of Low-Energy Buildings