Methods to Obtain the Occupant Perspective
Book chapter, 2023

This chapter summarizes the most important methods for actively engaging occupants in the processes of designing buildings. Each stage in the building life cycle places different demands on the professional-to-occupant relationship. Both objective and subjective data are important in this relationship and raises key epistemological questions about factors that cannot be directly observed—e.g., how do we know what we know about occupant behavior? The chapter guides the reader through this intellectually dangerous terrain by suggesting that the best way to find out what people think is to ask them. Some methods discussed here are familiar to practitioners, including interviews, surveys, focus groups, and direct observation. Others are just entering widespread practice, including virtual reality simulations, ubiquitous sensors and monitoring systems, and momentary ecological assessments. Each method has strengths, weaknesses, and appropriateness for use during certain stages of the building life cycle. The key takeaways from this chapter are that (1) building designers and operators can learn much value from occupants and (2) the new skills needed to engage successfully can be quickly learned. Occupant-centric design approaches that employ these methods improve the likelihood of successful building, interface design, and occupant outcomes.

Author

Clinton J. Andrews

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy

Julia Day

Washington State University Pullman

Philip Agee

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Rich Wener

New York University

Quan Jin

Chalmers, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Building Technology

Jennifer Senick

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy

Occupant-Centric Simulation Aided Building Design: Theory, Application, and Case Studies

60-82
9781000865752 (ISBN)

Subject Categories

Occupational Therapy

DOI

10.1201/9781003176985-4

More information

Latest update

7/6/2023 1