A critical assessment of the place of post-occupancy evaluation in the critique and creation of socially responsible architecture

The buildings that architects design do not always function and perform socially as intended, or even as they should. Often the architectural statement of design intent is over-valued and the frequent prioritization of aesthetics, along with the miscalculation of social considerations, frequently results in an architectural product that underperforms socially. Post-occupancy evaluation (POE), as a methodology, has been used primarily as a technocratic exercise to assess the technical aspects of building performance, whose metrics are easily quantifiable and correspond to optimizing economic outcomes. When aspects of human relationships are considered in POEs, the conversation more often turns to the interface between the individual and some technological aspect of the building. This paper rethinks POE methodology as a viable tool for the social evaluation of architectural space. It investigates the historical and current uses of POE and explores how it can engage critical social theories to address the psychosocial outcomes of built environments. Examples drawn from a variety of studies demonstrate the potential of POE to address critical social issues. The ultimate goal of this discussion is to emphasize how the implementation of socially critical POEs can contribute to architectural design practices that are at once socially responsible and inclusive.