You can watch the ninth Parlour LAB here!
LAB 09 explored the intersection of social practice, technology and architectural design through post occupancy evaluation. What can we learn from the ongoing life of buildings? Given increasing expectations that the value and impact of architectural solutions be validated, can POE help establish value and support further research within the built environment?
Leena suggested we think of POEs as a “slow living laboratory approach” – a way to learn as buildings are inhabited, test our design assumptions and see whether the design is adaptable enough to cope with the changing demands. Jessica learned from her POEs in sustainable housing communities that open and community spaces are vital for climate resilience, and that projects achieve better results when users are involved in the briefing and design.
Leena and Jessica recommend that if you are interested in implementing POEs:
First, you need to have interest to learn from the building and an open mind, you might find mistakes and things you’ve done wrong - that’s OK and part of the learning process!
Second, you will need buy-in from building users and owners to conduct the POE.
Third, co-design the POE and understand clearly what you want to get out of it
Research existing POE frameworks that you could employ or adapt in your case
Find data that is already being collected in the project and see what you can get out of that
Collaborate with others to generate richer narratives
