What are the most effective ways to use construction modeling for post-occupancy evaluation?

Construction modeling, also known as building information modeling (BIM), is a digital process that creates and manages information about a building project throughout its lifecycle. It can help architects, engineers, contractors, and owners collaborate, optimize, and visualize the design, construction, and operation of a building. But how can construction modeling be used for post-occupancy evaluation (POE), which is the systematic assessment of a building's performance, user satisfaction, and impact after it is occupied? In this article, we will explore some of the most effective ways to use construction modeling for POE, and how it can benefit the building industry and society.

1 Data collection

One of the main advantages of construction modeling is that it can store and integrate various types of data about a building, such as geometry, materials, systems, schedules, costs, energy, and environmental factors. This data can be used for POE to measure and compare the actual performance and outcomes of a building with the intended or expected ones. For example, construction modeling can help collect data on energy consumption, indoor air quality, thermal comfort, lighting, acoustics, and occupancy patterns, and analyze how they affect the building's efficiency, sustainability, and user well-being. Data collection can be done through sensors, meters, surveys, interviews, observations, or feedback systems, and can be linked to the construction model through cloud-based platforms or applications.

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Sabu Francis

Chief Architect: Sabu Francis & Associates. Founder at Limen Leap Labs and Syncspace. Mentor
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Architecture is one of the few specialist subjects that does not have a proper linguistic structure for the data it produces. Our software hitherto rely on a one-to-one connection between what is the real 3D outside and what is inside the software. Take music or mathematics -- their linguistic units succinctly capture meaning without controversy without resorting to one-to-one representations. In architecture, we see a beam outside, so we place the equivalent of the beam inside the data. And a column outside, is placed as a column inside the data, and so on. This does not bode well -- architecture data is not a "big data" problem but a "humungous data" one! Life happens post-occupancy- so lot more data has to be analyzed there.

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2 Data visualization

Another way to use construction modeling for POE is to visualize the data in a clear and interactive way, using charts, graphs, dashboards, or 3D models. Data visualization can help communicate the results and insights of POE to different stakeholders, such as owners, managers, designers, operators, users, or regulators. It can also help identify the strengths and weaknesses of a building, and highlight the areas that need improvement or intervention. For example, data visualization can show how a building's energy performance varies by season, time, or zone, and how it relates to user behavior, comfort, or satisfaction. Data visualization can also show how a building's design features, such as orientation, shape, materials, or systems, influence its performance and impact.

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3 Data simulation

A third way to use construction modeling for POE is to simulate the data in different scenarios, using tools, algorithms, or models. Data simulation can help test and evaluate the effects of various changes or alternatives on a building's performance and impact, and support decision-making and problem-solving. For example, data simulation can help estimate the potential savings or benefits of implementing energy efficiency measures, retrofitting strategies, or adaptive reuse options. Data simulation can also help predict the future performance and impact of a building under changing conditions, such as climate change, population growth, or user needs.

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4 Data integration

A final way to use construction modeling for POE is to integrate the data with other sources or systems, using standards, protocols, or interfaces. Data integration can help create a holistic and comprehensive view of a building's performance and impact, and enable cross-disciplinary collaboration and learning. For example, data integration can help combine the data from construction modeling with the data from geographic information systems (GIS), urban planning, or social sciences, and explore how a building interacts with its context, community, or society. Data integration can also help link the data from construction modeling with the data from facility management, maintenance, or operation systems, and optimize the life cycle management and value of a building.

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5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Sabu Francis

Chief Architect: Sabu Francis & Associates. Founder at Limen Leap Labs and Syncspace. Mentor
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I was called to opine on a big medical problem in Mumbai -- spread of drug-resistant TB in the SRA complexes. And later on during the Covid crisis, I had helped out in a minor way. The BIM afficionados really have no answer to the following: Almost NO research paper has been published about use of BIM for post-occupancy analysis for such health issues. For the so called "one single source of truth" model they proclaim, BIM falls woefully short -- their data structures as pointed out earlier here use very archaic ways of handling data and produces a lot of fragmented stuff. Imagine mathematicians expressing multiplication as a series of additions! Our data is a lot worse. Post-Occupancy analysis can't be done unless we rectify this.

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What are the most effective ways to use construction modeling for post-occupancy evaluation?

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1 Data collection

2 Data visualization

3 Data simulation

4 Data integration

5 Here’s what else to consider

Architecture

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