In 50 years’ time, the total energy and maintenance costs of the typical building completed today will equate to approximately half of what it cost to design and build it. And, as the building gets older, these costs are likely to increase. For this reason, Buro Happold believes it is important that a client’s interest in the cost of a building should not stop at the design and construction process.

Investing in post-occupancy evaluation and monitoring can reap rewards many times over, not only by reducing energy consumption but also by enhancing the quality of the workspace. Having a more regulated and comfortable environment – one that is pleasant to work in and encourages human interaction – is likely to have a very positive effect on employee productivity.

The scope of a post-occupancy evaluation can be tailored to the age and design of the building and to the client’s requirements. Using cost-effective building analysis techniques, our evaluation includes any or all of these services: desk-top study and benchmark analysis of utility bills; extended monitoring; thermal imaging study; air-tightness testing and occupant comfort satisfaction survey.

Draughty windows, poor ventilation and inefficient heating systems can seriously affect the performance and viability of an older building. Previous studies have shown that the energy-saving potential alone can far outweigh the outlay cost of using this service. During a 50-year life cycle, saving just 1% on energy costs would pay for a post-occupancy evaluation and monitoring analysis.