Showcasing 'real' green buildings: A case for post occupancy of university buildings

Throughout their life cycle; from construction, operation to demolition, buildings contribute to environmental impact. Globally, there has been a shift towards adoption of green building policies, legislation, various programmes and rating tools for all new construction and refurbishment projects. While most of these policies and regulatory developments, including assessments have flowed through into office buildings; universities, particularly as building owner and occupier and operating in mainly urban areas are beginning to recognize the opportunities of following such policies for their own assets. The University undertook a feasibility study to evaluate the actual versus expected performance of its two new 5 Star Green Star accredited buildings: Building A, housing business related disciplines; and Building B, housing built environment and related disciplines. The case studies were undertaken using a Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) for monitoring building performance as the green star ratings are design intent only and do not reflect actual building performance. A survey to understand the connection between the building user’s outlook, and building operation and management, was undertaken using a Building User Studies (BUS) occupant survey. These evaluations were carried out in each of the two buildings to measure occupant satisfaction, complemented by internal stakeholder interviews, and energy performance data. This study showed that the buildings did not perform well in all aspects of the BUS survey, but performed well compared to other buildings at the University campus. A major source of dissatisfaction was the lack of engagement with the staff working in these buildings. This study assists the University to evaluate how the buildings performed and the applicability and value of their existing green building standards. For the wider design community, analysis of the data highlights the importance of measurements to ensure optimization of the built environment, and recommending strategies for efficient management of buildings.