Post-occupancy studies of an office environment: Energy performance and occupants’ satisfaction

It is generally accepted that the physical workplace environment affects employees’ satisfaction and, consequently, their perceived productivity and well-being. This study investigated whether employee “satisfaction” variables can predict perceived productivity, well-being and enjoyment at work, and if so, to what extent. The study also explored whether limiting employees’ control over their environment could save energy without compromising employees’ satisfaction and perceived productivity. Preoccupancy and post-occupancy evaluation studies were conducted, in terms of both energy consumption and employee perceptions, to make comparisons between a company’s old and current headquarters buildings, both located in the same area of London. The results showed that employees were more satisfied with their work environment at their new HQ, in general, than with that of their previous office. Also, employees’ self-reported productivity, well-being and enjoyment at work improved after the move. It was revealed that the combination of employees’ level of satisfaction with “interior use of space” and “physical conditions” was the best predictor of their perceived productivity, while satisfaction with “indoor facilities” was not a good predictor. In terms of energy performance, although the new HQ’s energy consumption per m2 was significantly less than that of the previous building, there was still a gap between the refurbishment design target and the actual performance of the building. The findings suggest that this gap could be due to a number of factors, including an ineffective use of interior space, and occupants’ behaviour.

Developing a graduate diploma to cater for career-change adults

A seven-month intensive graduate diploma of teaching course was developed in 2007 to cater for an increasing demand for qualified teachers. The course is developed to university standards and is accredited by teacher registration authorities, with graduates obtaining a qualification as a teacher at the end of the seven month period. The course is tailored to recognise and build on the existing academic attributes and capacifies expected of top tertiary graduates, and to be appropriate to academically-experienced adult learning styles. This paper will discuss the process involved in the course development. Aspects related to the student cohort demographics and leaming styles will be highlighted. A 'nested case study approach' involving both qualitative and quantitative data collection was used. Questionnaires, surveys, and interviews were used to gather the data from stakeholders (post-graduate students) involved in this aspect of the research. The analysis of the data will provide detail on the aspects of the course which enabled mature-aged students to succeed and highlight future challenges.