Updated:
02-18-2021
TABLE 1: INFORMATION AND DATA TO BE COLLECTED DURING THE POE | |
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Site and Exterior Environment | Collect information and data on selection and physical conditions of the site location |
Collect information and data on transit proximity/use | |
Collect information on nearby amenities | |
Collect data on exterior public use spaces | |
Collect data on the exterior entrance | |
Collect data on landscape vegetation including the use of regional species | |
Collect data on irrigation water use and the use of conservation measures | |
Collect information and data on storm water management for the site | |
Collect information on materials used for landscaping and site development | |
Architectural |
Functionality: Collect information on the functionality of interior spaces based on interrelationships, location, and other design strategies
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Space requirements reflect owner's work style and patterns and space utilization
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Space Efficiency
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Health and Comfort: Environmental Controls
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Accessibility
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Flexibility/Efficiency
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Workplace Image
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Appropriateness of Interior Systems, Finishes, Fixtures, Furniture and Equipment: durability, serviceability, colors and textures
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Building Envelope | Systems and Materials: Evaluate selections of envelope systems and materials |
Water Penetration: Obtain data from significant representative samples | |
Waterproofing Systems: Collect information and evaluate selected waterproofing systems | |
Moisture Control: Obtain data from significant representative samples | |
Condensation Resistance: Obtain data from significant representative samples | |
Air Tightness: Obtain data from significant representative samples | |
Thermal Performance: Obtain data from significant representative samples | |
Acoustic Control: Obtain data from significant representative samples | |
Fenestration Cleaning: Evaluate fenestration cleaning system and strategies | |
Structure | Wind Resistance: Evaluate structural wind resistance in relation to Risk |
Flood Resistance: Evaluate flood resistance in relation to risk | |
Seismic Resistance: Evaluate seismic resistance in relation to risk | |
Blast Resistance: Evaluate blast resistance in relation to risk | |
Mechanical |
Temperature: Obtain data from significant representative samples
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Humidity: Obtain data from significant representative samples
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Air Movement: Obtain data from significant representative samples
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Building Pressurization
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Ventilation
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Filtration
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Acoustics (MEP): Obtain data from significant representative samples
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Whole Building Energy Performance and Operational Efficiency
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Plumbing System | Fixture performance |
Condition of domestic and sanitary piping systems | |
Lighting and Electrical System |
Illuminance: Obtain data from significant representative samples
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Luminance: Obtain data from significant representative samples
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Spectral Distribution: Obtain data from significant representative samples
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Electrical System | Flash protection |
Protection of switchgear, transformers and emergency generators from flooding | |
Availability of emergency and redundant power systems | |
Management of lighting and power control systems during occupied and unoccupied periods | |
Security Systems |
Physical Security: Collect information and evaluate strategies for providing required Level of Security
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Electronic Security: Collect information and evaluate equipment selection for providing required Level of Security
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TABLE 2: EXAMPLES OF LESSONS LEARNED DURING POST OCCUPANCY EVALUATIONS | |
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Involve O&M Staff Early in the Process | When the Operations & Maintenance (O&M) staff or contractor is involved early and is on board before the final occupancy, the transition process occurs seamlessly, and the facility then appears to operate at a high degree of satisfaction. When the O&M training is provided by the actual vendor and the training material is archived in a useful and easy-to-access format, evidence shows that huge dividends are reaped during the future operation of the facility. Early staffing is the key to success for bringing the O&M staff/contractor on before final occupancy, so that they can observe the commissioning and startup operation of the equipment, as well as for selecting the most skilled firm to operate the building. In other words, the money spent designing and providing a high-performing smart building was not fully realized as a result of contracting with a O&M vendor underqualified to operate the facility. |
Competent Facilities Maintenance Staff | The building must be operated in a fashion that is consistent with the design intent, by personnel who are appropriately qualified, certified, and licensed to effectively address the complexity of the building's systems. |
Appropriate Landscaping | Inappropriate selection of landscape plantings has repeatedly resulted in continuing O&M costs, including significant staff time tending to the landscape, costs to replace poorly performing species, and increased water usage. The costliest and most time-consuming issues surround improper selection of trees, shrubs, and turf. |
Adequate Irrigation Systems | Irrigation systems can be complicated and if not designed, installed, and commissioned correctly can cause long term operational, maintenance and repair expenses. |
Water features Maintenance | Exterior water features can require significant maintenance and repair costs if they are not adequately designed and installed. |
Plazas | Exterior plazas can experience deterioration which requires costly maintenance, repair, and replacement. |
Matching Maintenance to the Design | Innovative solutions to the building enclosure require a heightened due diligence in the design and validation phase to insure the appropriate, climatic and hygrothermal maintainability of the system. |
Enclosure Maintenance | Maintenance, cleaning, repair and replacement of the building enclosure, specialty systems, lighting, and roofing, require increased design attention, directly proportional to the systems complexity, durability, access ,and usage to minimize operating and maintenance costs, downtimes, and building disruption. |
Window Ceaning and Maintenance | Window-washing provisions can be challenging and often at odds with architectural expression. The following should be considered when planning for window washing on future projects:
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Loading Docks | Limited or poorly designed loading dock areas can dramatically increase the inefficiency of delivering packages, supplies, and other materials to the facility. The lack of freight elevators and direct transfer routes can exacerbate these inefficiencies, increasing staff time and resources required for movement of incoming and outgoing materials. Customized large overhead doors and horizontal gates found in garages, loading docks, and secure parking areas are prone to racking and breaking down, requiring long delays in terms of acquiring skilled, out-of-town repair contractors and foreign parts. |
Restroom Maintenance | Public restrooms that see a high level of traffic require constant cleaning. Certain restroom characteristics, such as light-colored floor tiles and grout, or smaller tiles that require more grout joints, exacerbate the problem and require excessive expenditure of O&M resources. Also, the location of toilet accessories within the room, dimensional clearance, and capacity impact use and cleanability. |
Temperature Control | Providing high levels of occupant satisfaction with the indoor environment and thermal control continues to be a challenge for many buildings. Temperature and comfort dissatisfaction can be an ongoing problem with resulting maintenance time and costs to respond to occupant complaints. |
Mechanical Equipment Access | Accessible and adequate space for mechanical and electrical equipment must be provided. Equipment location must not require the direct disruption of the building for common service requirements. |
Entry Door Pressurization | Buildings with multistory atria that include screening operations and direct connections to the outdoors, all struggled with pressurization control at their main entries. Buildings can experience unnecessary energy consumption from inconsistent pressurization. Pressurization control works hand-in-hand with indoor environment control, and both excessive infiltration of outdoor air or exfiltration of treated indoor air wastes energy, including that spent on humidifying in winter. |
Restroom Fixtures | Battery powered restroom fixtures were found to be an extremely high maintenance item in buildings where they are located in busy public restrooms. The battery replacements can be a weekly necessity, requiring the facility to expend O&M staff resources on continuing basis. The need to replace plumbing fixture batteries does not seem to be a burden at lower frequency restrooms. |
Lighting Fixture Access | Access to lighting for lamp replacement can offer significant challenges to O&M staff, as well as significant expenditure of resources (both time and money).the need to use scaffolding and lifts, resulting damage to flooring, and in some cases the complete inability to reach the lighting offer major impediments to the successful operations of buildings. In addition, having a large number of different luminaire types and ballasts can require a large variety of lamp types to be kept in stock and tracked, in order to keep up with re-lamping luminaires. This requires extensive time and effort to ensure that the correct lamp is replaced. |
Careful Weigh In-grade Luminaires | In-grade exterior luminaires and step lights commonly show evidence of water penetration. This is a common issue for in-grade luminaires, as it is challenging to install them completely watertight. Luminaires installed in concrete are also difficult to service since there are limited access points. Above-grade lighting is recommended for exterior applications. |
Equipment Labeling | Buildings can have deficiencies in electrical equipment labeling, including electrical panels as well as lighting and shade control devices. Panel schedules in electrical rooms may only contain generic labels such as "lighting" or "receptacles." Maintenance staff is often faced with creating or fixing electrical and lighting control panel schedules in order to create useful labeling that meets requirements for circuit identification. |
Optimize the BAS | The Building Automation System (BAS can substantially reduce energy efficiency if not optimized to provide integration and high performance between the various building systems. |
Connect Lighting Controls to the BAS | While most lighting control systems have the capability of connecting to the BAS, in many cases that final step is not taken. Centralized lighting control systems will have their own user interface, but should be integrated with the BAS so that the system can produce information such as building schedules and energy consumption from one location, lessening the amount of repetitive work to be completed by facility management. |
Lighting Systems Programming | The effective programming of building lighting systems and control in addition to occupant education can dramatically reduce energy costs and improve customer satisfaction. |