Post-occupancy evaluation of office buildings in a Johannesburg country club estate

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present the findings of a research project aimed at determining the level of satisfaction of building occupants in terms of Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) and the effect of IEQ on both the morale and the productivity of the employees working in the complex. The main findings were derived from the perceptions of the employees working in a Country Club Estate (CCE) in Johannesburg, South Africa. The questions asked addressed how poor air quality, lack of access to daylight, unpleasant acoustic conditions, and control over lighting and thermal comfort caused dissatisfaction with the buildings’ IEQ. The data were collected during August and September 2012. Questionnaires were sent to ten office blocks within the CCE complex. A total number of 126 questionnaires were sent out and 102 replies were received. Observations from the data led to the view that the satisfactory level of IEQ awareness is low among the occupants and that the employees have limited control over issues such as air ventilation, artificial lighting and noise in their offices. Organisational structure needs to be formed that will enlighten occupants about factors that contribute to poor indoor air quality (IAQ). Organisational procedures also point to the fact that the level of IEQ is low. The inconsistent ratings that were recorded suggest that there appears to be a major scope for addressing post-occupancy evaluation (POE)-related matters in the complex.

Keywords: Buildings, employee morale, employee productivity, facility management, Health and Safety (H&S), Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE)

Die doel van hierdie artikel is om die bevindinge van ’n navorsingsprojek oor die vasstelling van die tevredenheidsvlak van inwoners oor die binnenshuiseomgewingskwaliteit (IEQ) en die effek daarvan op die moraal en produktiwiteit van die werknemers in hierdie gebou weer te gee. Die belangrikste bevindinge is afgelei uit die persepsies van werknemers in ’n buiteklubkompleks in Johnnesburg, Suid-Afrika. Die vrae wat gevra is, gaan oor hoe swak lugkwaliteit, gebrek aan toegang tot daglig, onaangename akoestiese toestande en die beheer oor die beligting en termiese gemak lei tot ontevredenheid met die IEQ in die geboue. Die data is ingesamel gedurende Augustus en September 2012. Vraelyste is gestuur na tien kantoorblokke in die buiteklubkompleks. ’n Totaal van 126 vraelyste is uitgestuur en 102 antwoorde is ontvang. Waarnemings van die data het gelei tot die siening dat die tevredenheidsvlak van  IEQbewustheid laag is onder die inwoners en dat die werknemers beperkte beheer het oor kwessies soos lugventilasie, kunsmatige beligting en geraas in hul kantore. Organisatoriese strukture moet gevorm word wat inwoners oor die faktore wat bydra tot swak binnenshuise kwaliteit van die lug (IAQ) inlig. Organisasieprosedures verwys ook na die feit dat die vlak van IEQ laag is. Die teenstrydige graderings wat aangeteken is, dui daarop dat daar klaarblyklik ’n groot omvang is vir die aanspreek van na-besetting geëvalueer (POE)- verwante sake in hierdie kompleks.

Sleutelwoorde: Geboue, werknemermoraal, werknemerproduktiwiteit, fasiliteitsbestuur, gesondheid en veiligheid (H&S), binnenshuise omgewingskwaliteit, na-besetting evaluasie

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