Andrew Halpin joined the Portland studio as a summer design intern, participating in the firm’s robust internship program that includes conducting an in-depth research project. Currently pursuing a Master of Architecture at the University of Oregon, Andrew also received a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture at UO. Read more from our 2025 internship cohort and all our past intern research projects here.
What is a Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE)?
At its core, a POE is about understanding the human context of design. Once a building has been occupied for more than a year, there’s an opportunity to study, have conversations, and hear from the occupants in how to improve our designs in the future. POEs support evidence-based design, a practice where new projects are informed by research and lessons learned from existing buildings.
Why Not Conduct a POE After Every Project?
There are many hurdles to conducting POEs, including the cost, a fear of negative feedback, and a lack of resources on how to even conduct a POE. Despite these barriers, there are clear benefits to this type of research: maintaining a relationship with your client, gaining a deeper understanding of the building’s performance, and learning how everyday occupants feel about the building.
A framework for conducting post-occupancy evaluations.
POE Theoretical Framework
To conduct a POE, the first step is to determine whether the research will be quantitative or qualitative. Using the book “Inquiry by Design” by John Zeisel, four research methods were identified for conducting POEs: interviews, observations, surveys, and energy analysis. These methods provide a spectrum of data, with interviews and observations yielding more qualitative insights, while surveys and energy analysis provide more quantitative metrics. To measure a building’s success, a POE can also use indicators, which are like a report card for the design. These indicators — which can include factors like comfort, energy use, and design excellence — provide a framework for categorizing feedback, and help to identify the strengths and weaknesses of a building’s design from the user’s perspective.
POE: Multnomah County Library Operations Center
Using this research framework, I conducted a POE of the Multnomah County Library Operations Center, an adaptive reuse project that transformed a former grocery store into a 73,000-square-foot central hub that processes the flow of books and materials for the countywide library system. Opened in January 2024, it was the first project of a capital bond approved by voters in 2020. On the roof, 602 solar panels offset the building’s energy usage, generating more than 353 megawatt-hours of energy annually.
This project was a perfect opportunity to see how the building, designed with sustainability in mind, performs in the eyes of its users. By gathering data and performing a simplified analysis, I was able to demonstrate how the lessons learned from the POE can be integrated into future design projects.
Highlights From the POE
The following findings from the Operations Center POE focus on the roof terrace and show what the research methods revealed about this specific space. The roof terrace is located on the second floor of the Operations Center and provides a private outdoor space for staff. Solar panels above the terrace cantilever over the seating area to provide shade from intense sunlight.
Interviews
During interviews with the building’s users, there was overwhelming positive feedback on how beautiful the terrace is. One conversation brought up some constructive feedback on how the terrace could have been even better: “I wish even more of the terrace could have been sheltered from the rain.” Considering Oregon’s climate, this feedback should be considered in future designs. Further protecting the roof terrace from rainy weather might provide a space to be outside even when the weather is not perfect, giving the roof terrace even more usable days year-round. In school, I have learned about thermal comfort and how sheltering outdoor spaces from rain and wind while providing direct sunlight helps extend comfort even into the fall and spring seasons.
Observations
Given the overwhelming feedback on the terrace, I briefly observed how people use the space. I noticed that everyone on the roof terrace sat alone, perhaps to get some quiet time to unwind during lunch. In school, I have learned about sociopetal and sociofugal seating. Sociopetal seating promotes social interaction, while sociofugal seating promotes privacy or independence. On the terrace, I observed only sociopetal seating. To reference a quote from the interviews: “Many people in the building are librarians or ex-librarians; they are introverts and like to eat their lunch alone.” I found that the seating arrangement could have balanced sociopetal and sociofugal seating, catering to those who wanted social space or private space.
Survey
A survey was sent out to the staff at the Ops Center to gather more information. One of the questions asked, “What is your favorite part of the Ops Center,” and 33% of respondents mentioned the roof terrace. One person noted: “The terrace is absolutely amazing — I love taking a brain break on the terrace! It’s stunning, feels like a little get away, and is perfect for a peaceful moment.”
Future Application of POEs
Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the spaces we design helps architects improve their practice. In the case of the MCL Operations Center, many of the lessons learned from this first bond project were then carried through on the rest of the capital projects, including the library refreshes and new Northwest branch that Hennebery Eddy designed.
At the heart of our profession is designing spaces for people. While we can learn a great deal by designing similar projects to improve our design process, consider how much more can we learn with the inclusion of POEs. They are vital for evidence-based design, where lessons learned from previous designs help inform future projects. They help us to uncover topics for discussion related to design by asking our users, “How can we improve?”
Internship Experience
During my internship, I gained valuable experience on a variety of projects. I engaged in construction documentation, site visits, work on drawing packages, and schematic design proposals. I spent time improving my skills with BIM software such as Revit and Grasshopper. I am thankful for my time at Hennebery Eddy and the opportunity to work on projects that I am passionate about and to learn from incredible mentors. I am excited to take these skills forward into my final year of my architectural education and to apply them to my future career.
Research Sources
- Hosey, Lance. “Going beyond the Punchlist: Why Architects Should Embrace Post-Occupancy Evaluations.” Metropolis, 6 Feb. 2019
- Zeisel, John. “Inquiry by Design: Environment/Behavior/Neuroscience in Architecture, Interiors, Landscape, and Planning.” New York, W.W. Norton & Company, 2006
- American Institute of Architects Framework for Design Excellence
- Multnomah County Library Operations Center