I recently read Larry Hartman's article "Boxes on the Light Shelf: An Introduction to Post Occupancy Evaluations" in the latest AAJ Journal. Larry explains three types of post-occupancy evaluations (POEs)-indicative, investigative, and diagnostic-and discusses some of the challenges of implementing these as a common practice. With the relatively recent shift towards using evidence-based design as an approach to the design of justice facilities, Larry emphasizes the importance of conducting POEs on these project types in order to grow that body of evidence. The most engaging portions of Larry's article for me were the models he describes that various government agencies have been implementing, including those by GSA and the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management. Larry also gives an overview of Soft Landings, an organization in Great Britain, that has developed a phase-based approach that actively integrates the standards of performance for the end users throughout the design and construction process.
I would love to hear what successes or challenges your firm has had with implementing POEs on your justice projects.
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Suzi Smith Assoc. AIA
Marketing Manager
HMC + Beverly Prior Architects
San Francisco CA
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