Post Occupancy Evaluation from Architectural Design Perspective : Askari Heights Lahore as a Case Study

Abstract

Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) concept, which is a process to evaluate buildings in a systematic method, is worldwide being utilized to assess a building’s performance while in occupation. Its importance is attaining a growing recognition with academia, construction industry, architects, and engineers while considering the needs of the client and the end-user. It identifies the performance issues, shortcomings in design and determines the functional satisfaction of the building occupants. The concept thus ensures a better living environment and user friendly design for future buildings, and is a source of constant improvement and provides guidelines for enhanced standards and layout of residential units. In Pakistan, however, no such concept is in vogue. The designers, architects and builders, are reluctant to undergo any post occupancy audit for numerous obvious reasons, thus avoiding critique and capital or time extensive procedures. This study, nevertheless is an attempt to highlight the importance of POE concept in the country and explores the parameters pertaining to aesthetics, functional and social issues in the housing industry of the country, while focusing on apartment houses at Lahore. It aims at creating an evidence-based evaluation tool for an improved architectural layout of Askari apartment at Lahore through the POE concept. The study assesses the physical attributes while highlighting design deficiencies of medium-cost apartments and proposes a conceptually conducive architectural layout for future apartment buildings. Consequently, it creates awareness to designers and construction managers to improve the facility aesthetically, functionality, and socially, based on user’s satisfaction. A combination of walk-through survey and questionnaire-based survey was used to create valid evaluation criteria for the design layout of a three-bed apartment viii (TBA), taken as a case study from Askari Heights (AH), Lahore. Relevant books and literature were reviewed to better understand the concept of architectural design issues that could affect the end-user (occupants). Forty-eight building attributes of architectural design criteria were identified from the literature. These criteria served as the major standards for developing the functional design (FD) layout. Quantitative method of content analysis was used for data collection and analysis. After the walkthrough survey of the TBA and face validation from experts, a questionnaire-based survey was administered for a random sample of 300 occupants. Descriptive and factor analysis were applied to explore how users of a residential facility perceived the physical characterises (PC) of design features. Outcomes of the questionnaire indicate that the respondents were least satisfied with fittings of bathroom & kitchen, visual privacy, sufficient garbage disposal arrangement, size of store, and inside duct facility for repair in TBA. These building attributes need due consideration in architectural layout to improve residents’ satisfaction. This study provides a basis to formulate the concept of POE in the country and offers a guideline for creating and validating POE for PC evaluation criteria as a design tool for future research and construction.