Mitarbeit International Building Performance Evaluation (IBPE)

Vorhaben/Prospectus (1998, April 6)

1. Purpose: The purpose of this project is to create a global network of building performance evaluation researchers with the intent of standardizing evaluation methodology and instruments, and further, to facilitate comparative, cross-cultural analysis of evaluation data on identical building types. The first phase of this project will include representatives from the countries of Brazil, Canada, Germany, Japan, Korea, The Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

2. Background: The book, Post-Occupancy Evaluation (Preiser, Rabinowitz and White, 1988), has been in use worldwide, and has been translated into Japanese and Korean. The desirability and usefulness of evaluation methodologies which can be applied cross-culturally and in the global context is without question. Schramm (1996) conducted cross-cultural evaluation studies on healthcare facilities in Egypt and raised important questions about the methodology an validity of findings in the cross-cultural context. Furthermore, Preiser and Schramm (1997) introduced the concept of building performance evaluation which incorporates post-occupancy evaluation, and which proposed an evaluative and review stance in all six major phases of the building delivery cycle.

3. Approach: A 3-phase approach is envisioned for the project: The first, conceptual phase of the project, is designed to develop standardized data collection instruments for the eight countries involved in the project, whereby culture-specific evaluation modules would be developed and added for each participating country and language area.
The second phase of the project will involve application and pilot testing of evaluation instruments in field studies and identical building types, such as intelligent office buildings, or healthcare facilities.
The third phase of the project will aim at comparative analysis of data collected in the eight participating countries, as well as the development of recommendations and guidelines for the utilization of the data gathering instruments at a global level. To that end, international symposia on building performance evaluation are envisioned (in connection with EDRA [Environmental Design Research Association], IAPS [International Association for People-Environment Studies] or MERA [Man-Environment Research Association] Conferences) at which methodologies and data will be analyzed on a comparative basis, and adjustments/refinements to methodology discussed. In the future, this could lead to an ongoing series of workshops, culminating in a contribution to a CIB International Symposium on building performance.

4. Project Schedule:
Phase I:
Preliminary draft of data-gathering instruments, including culture specific module for each language area. Special IBPE Symposium sessions are planned for discussion of preliminary draft material at annual conferences of IAPS and/or EDRA
Phase II:
Revision of data-gathering instrument drafts and culture-specific modules. Preparation of case study materials. Testing of data-gathering instruments in real world contexts and projects in each language area.
Phase III:
Finalization of materials and presentation at a symposium to be planned in connection with EDRA or similar conferences. Preparation of materials for publication.

5. Outcomes: It is expected that the outcomes of this project will be a "kit of tools" for building performance evaluation which are represented by the participants in the project. The value of this effort lies in applications of the methodology by multi-national research and planning organization to the assessment and feedback of the performance of the facilities they own or operate worldwide, and, most importantly the implied improvement in the quality and performance that can be realized.

6. References
Preiser, W. F. E. and Schramm, U., (1997) Building Performance Evaluation. In: Watson, D. et al (Eds.) Time Saver Standards. New York: Mc Graw Hill.
Preiser, W. F. E. Rabinowitz, H. Z. and White, E. T. (1988) Post-Occupancy Evaluation. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Schramm, U. (1996) "Post-Occupancy Evaluation in the Cross Cultural context: A Field Study on the Performance of Health Care Facilities in Egypt and other Countries." Proceeding CIB-ASTM-ISO-RILEM 3rd International Symposium. Tel Aviv, Israel.

7. Project Participants
Brazil: Dr. Sheila Walbe Ornstein
Canada: Dr. Raymond Bertrand
Germany: Dr. Ulrich Schramm
Japan: Dr. Akikazu Kato
Korea: Dr. Eui-Yong Jeong
The Netherlands: Dr. Andreas van Wagenberg
United Arab Emirates: Dr. Yasser Osman Moharam Mahgoub
USA: Dr. Wolfgang F. E. Preiser