The Concept Of Building Performance And POE

In simple terms, building performance” has been defined in BS 5240 as behavior of a product in use. It can also be used to denote the physical performance characteristics of a building as a whole and of its parts. It thus relates to a building’s ability to contribute to fulfilling the functions of its intended use (Douglas, 1996). Also building facilities represents a substantial percentage of most organization’s assets and their operating costs, thus it is hardly surprising that building performance appraisal is becoming formal and regular part of FM process (Amarathunga, 2000). Becker (1990 cited Amarathunga n.d.) argues that FM as an organizational change agent and building performance is an important aspect of that change. A study by Williams (cited Amarathunga 2002) shows that three key aspects of performance in- use have been pointed out, namely, functional efficiency, physical efficiency, and financial efficiently.



The concept of building performance is the major philosophical and theoretical background for POE (Amarathunga, 2002). It is the process of evaluating buildings in a systematic and rigorous manner after they have been occupied for some time (Preiser, 2002). Newens (1997, cited Amarathunga n.d.) suggests “this is an attractive concept, not only for designers and users, but also for the long term benefit of all concerned with the built environment but only if it leads to an overall improvement in design standards”. As well as POE focus on building occupants and their needs, and thus they provide insights into the consequences of post design decisions and the resulting building performance.