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1 – 10 of over 1000
Article
Publication date: 22 July 2020

Chaiwat Riratanaphong and Sorawis Limjaroensuk

Feedback from condominium occupants on multi-generational condominium facility services makes it possible to identify areas in need of improvement and development concerning…

Abstract

Purpose

Feedback from condominium occupants on multi-generational condominium facility services makes it possible to identify areas in need of improvement and development concerning facilities management in this residential project type. This paper aims to examine behaviours, needs, preferences and patterns of space use in condominium occupants from three different age groups (under 30, 30 to 50 and over 50 years old) relative to their satisfaction with facility services. The paper examines the impact of the physical environment and facility service arrangement (i.e. cleaning and security) on occupant satisfaction in the common areas of six multi-generational condominiums and investigates whether occupant satisfaction varies between the three age groups.

Design/methodology/approach

Six case studies classified as multi-generational condominiums were conducted. Research methods included document analysis, field surveys, interviews with juristic person managers and surveys from condominium occupants regarding their satisfaction with cleaning and security services in the common areas. The findings were then applied one-way ANOVA to test occupant satisfaction mean differences between age groups.

Findings

The findings indicate that physical environment characteristics including the location, size, number and design attributes of common areas have an impact on the provision of facility services and may influence occupant satisfaction. In terms of the facility service arrangement, both the service method and the ratio of staff to areas of responsibility can be explained in connection to functional and technical quality, respectively. Occupants’ demands and behaviours, such as the strong requirement for privacy, the preference towards service staff accessibility and the frequency of space usage, contribute to different levels of occupant satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

More case studies in Thailand and also in other countries, based on surveys with large samples of respondents, are required to increase the validity and to establish whether it is possible to generalise the study’s findings.

Practical implications

The findings and reflections upon them help understand the impact of physical environment characteristics and the provision of facility services on occupant satisfaction in various age groups. Recommendations are provided concerning building design and the provision of facility services in connection to perceived service quality and occupant satisfaction in multi-generational condominiums in Thailand that can apply to other types of real estate projects where similar facility services are offered.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to research on occupant satisfaction with facility services and provides evidence on occupants’ feedback in different types of perceived service quality (i.e. technical and functional quality). Identifying the impact of physical environment characteristics, facility service arrangements and occupant behaviours on occupant satisfaction with the technical and functional aspects of facility services contributes to the body of research on facilities management.

Article
Publication date: 7 August 2023

Fahriye Hilal Halicioglu and Kubra Gurel

Most of the emphasis in the green building literature on the green performance of buildings has been on optimizing energy and resource efficiency. Admittedly, from the perspective…

Abstract

Purpose

Most of the emphasis in the green building literature on the green performance of buildings has been on optimizing energy and resource efficiency. Admittedly, from the perspective of the sustainable construction industry, making optimally energy and resource efficiency, often seen as a technical challenge, has a premise role in green building projects. However, green buildings need to optimally meet the health, well-being and comfort requirements of their occupants and their environmental quality targets. In that context, perceived quality is a crucial determinant of occupant satisfaction and can play a critical role in the user-oriented improvement of the green performance of buildings. While previous research has highlighted issues related to occupant satisfaction, none of them examines green buildings from a perceived quality perspective. Therefore, the study attempts to fill this research gap.

Design/methodology/approach

Firstly, to reveal the positive and negative satisfaction of the building occupants according to the green building features, the review of previous research in the related literature is supplemented by an exploratory study of case studies evaluating occupant satisfaction in green buildings. Then, a conceptual framework is proposed to link perceived quality and green building features towards occupant satisfaction.

Findings

A review of the case studies in 49 research articles has shown deficiencies in a comprehensive understanding and approach to the perceived quality of green buildings. In response, the development of a framework for conceptual interrelationships may provide a pathway for more detailed quality assessments for future research. In this study, the proposed conceptual framework has the potential to provide a conceptual basis for future models in determining the relationship between quality expectations and quality experiences in green buildings. It can also serve as a constructive approach for assessing occupant satisfaction in the quality-driven improvements of green buildings and further investigation of the importance of various quality cues, quality attributes and their interactions.

Originality/value

This study aims to incorporate green building features and perceived quality concepts into a framework that can form the basis for assessing occupant satisfaction in green buildings. The ultimate goal of the proposed conceptual framework is to generate an insight that can contribute to rethinking the perceived quality of green buildings and developing more occupant-driven solutions for future green buildings.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 41 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 April 2021

Kofi Agyekum, Samuel Fiifi Hammond and Burcu Salgin

This study examines occupants' satisfaction with the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of a green-certified building [The Green Star South Africa (SA) Building] in Ghana.

Abstract

Purpose

This study examines occupants' satisfaction with the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of a green-certified building [The Green Star South Africa (SA) Building] in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

Views of 300 respondents are solicited on 15 IEQ (obtained through a critical review of the literature and complemented with a pilot interview on the subject) parameters. Data obtained are analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics.

Findings

Findings suggest that occupants are generally satisfied with five critical aspects of IEQ. The results also indicate that the occupants perceive five key IEQ parameters to have high levels of importance. Further inferential analysis of the parameters revealed that two core IEQs require the highest levels of improvement actions.

Research limitations/implications

The study was conducted in Ghana and analysed occupants' perceptions of working within one green-certified building. Again, the collection of the occupants' responses was not linked with the direct measurement of physical characteristics of the IEQ parameters of the building. Hence, the findings cannot be generalised.

Practical implications

Practically, the study contributes to providing all stakeholders involved in the Green Star SA Ghana certification system with the relevant feedback for their decision-making on current and future projects to be certified under this certification system.

Originality/value

This study provides valuable information on the performance of IEQ parameters of the building and points out potential IEQ areas that need improvement efforts, especially concerning current and future facilities certified under this certification system.

Details

Built Environment Project and Asset Management, vol. 11 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-124X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 April 2014

Agnieszka Zalejska-Jonsson

The aims of this paper is to investigate the overall satisfaction of occupants of green and conventional residential buildings and their perception of indoor environment quality…

1925

Abstract

Purpose

The aims of this paper is to investigate the overall satisfaction of occupants of green and conventional residential buildings and their perception of indoor environment quality (IEQ) and to study factors that may cause occupants’ dissatisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through a survey sent to occupants of comparable green and conventional multi-family buildings. The difference in responses between occupants of green and conventional buildings was analysed using Mann–Whitney (rank sum) test. The ordered logistic models were applied to the data to test whether the overall satisfaction changes depending on the level of acceptance of indoor environment quality and whether the building environmental profile and the apartment tenure affect occupant satisfaction.

Findings

The results show that both categories of occupants are very satisfied with their apartments and that there is no statistically significant difference between the stated overall satisfaction of occupants living in green and conventional buildings, although a difference was found in the acceptance level for thermal and sound quality. The research highlights the importance of occupant feedback, user-friendly technical installations and the ability to control indoor environment. This knowledge is important for designers, engineers and developers alike in enabling them to improve dwelling quality and minimize post-occupancy problems.

Research limitations/implications

It was not possible to include physical measurements of IEQ parameters; the analysis is based only on occupants’ responses, which may carry a certain subjectivity.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the understanding of IEQ from occupant perspective and to knowledge on green building performance.

Details

Facilities, vol. 32 no. 7/8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-2772

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 March 2022

AbdulLateef Olanrewaju, Phang Horng Shia and Hui Chen Chu

The demand for residential units in mixed development is increasing because of a better understanding of the benefits and functions of mixed development. However, there is a lack…

Abstract

Purpose

The demand for residential units in mixed development is increasing because of a better understanding of the benefits and functions of mixed development. However, there is a lack of study on the performance of the residential buildings in the mixed development. The purpose of this study is to investigate the satisfaction level of the occupants of residential buildings in mixed developments.

Design/methodology/approach

The research developed a questionnaire instrument that included 17 factors to measure the expectations and actual satisfaction of the residences in the mixed development. Data were collected using a survey questionnaire from five mixed developments in Greater Kuala Lumpur and analysed with service quality and matrix chart models.

Findings

The data revealed that while the expectations of the residential building users in mixed developments were not excessive, their satisfaction levels were not high. The price of residential buildings in mixed developments is exorbitant. Many of the occupants have relatively high actual satisfaction, even though some of them are disappointed in some of the services or benefits that are expected in mixed developments. The occupants are not interested in the nearness of the mixed development to public transport facilities, suggesting a high urge for private car ownership and poor public transport facilities.

Originality/value

The findings will be useful to developers, design teams, city planners and policymakers. Implicit in the findings of this research is the lack of a benchmark for the performance of luxury housing. From an ontological standpoint, the main findings of this study are generalisable to other cities in and outside of Malaysia.

Details

International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, vol. 16 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 June 2019

Fatma Kürüm Varolgüneş

The purpose of this study is to compare vernacular and new houses in terms of indoor occupant satisfaction and thermal and visual comfort in a region with cold climatic…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to compare vernacular and new houses in terms of indoor occupant satisfaction and thermal and visual comfort in a region with cold climatic conditions. In line with the data obtained, the contribution of passive design techniques to comfort in housing indoor will be revealed.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the comfort conditions to be provided in a residence were determined and evaluated in Bingol with the help of questionnaires applied on vernacular and new houses. The information gathered from the occupants and the survey study was mainly designed for three purposes: (i) acquiring general information about houses; (ii) acquiring general information about occupants; and (iii) inquiring about the physical comfort satisfaction of the occupants (thermal comfort and visual comfort).

Findings

Although the average occupant satisfaction in terms of thermal performance in vernacular houses in summer and winter is 3.91, this average is 2.01 for new houses. The average of the general visual comfort of occupants in vernacular houses is 3.59, whereas this rate is 2.63 in new houses. According to the data obtained, occupant satisfaction was higher in vernacular houses than in new houses. In general, the new settlement area is designed and positioned independently of climate and environmental conditions. This situation increases the need to use mechanical systems to provide indoor thermal comfort conditions. The increase in the need for mechanical systems leads to a significant increase in energy expenditures, as well as deterioration of health conditions in places.

Research limitations/implications

To ensure occupant satisfaction, indoor thermal comfort conditions and healthy environments, vernacular houses should be an example for the design and building of new houses in terms of orientation, environment relations, space dimensions and space usage in accordance with the character of the region and material selection.

Originality/value

There has not been a serious research on bioclimatic, socioeconomic and cultural sustainability of the vernacular architecture of Bingol. Therefore, this region has been preferred as the study area.

Details

International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, vol. 13 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 August 2015

Junaidah Jailani, Richard Reed and Kimberley James

The purpose of this paper is to address two major challenges faced by sustainable building owners: first, address the gap between an occupant’s expectations of sustainable…

1537

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address two major challenges faced by sustainable building owners: first, address the gap between an occupant’s expectations of sustainable building outcomes and what the building actually provides and second, overcome the lack of user knowledge about sustainability design and operation for a particular with regards to performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a focus group approach to investigate the gap between: user expectations and sustainable building performance. The study surveyed occupants of sustainable office buildings in Melbourne, Australia.

Findings

There is no significant relationship between users’ expectations and users’ experience of sustainable building performance and users’ knowledge about sustainability and the building they were worked in.

Research limitations/implications

The research was limited to sustainable office buildings. New office buildings seeking to incorporate sustainability which need to focus on the needs of tenants in order to maximise value.

Practical implications

There is an urgent need to ensure sustainable office buildings meet the needs of present and future occupiers without compromising short and long-term occupier satisfaction levels with regards to sustainability and operation of the building.

Social implications

Increasing the level of sustainability in office buildings has been a major trend over the past decade however the tenants need to be consulted in the post-occupancy phase.

Originality/value

Little attention has been given in the property management literature to sustainable office buildings and value drivers. This is an original and innovative study, partly due to the recent developments in sustainable buildings.

Details

Property Management, vol. 33 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-7472

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 October 2014

Craig Brown and Mark Gorgolewski

This paper aims to present four purposes: to assess occupant satisfaction with indoor environmental quality (IEQ); to determine if occupants appear to be operating their dwellings…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present four purposes: to assess occupant satisfaction with indoor environmental quality (IEQ); to determine if occupants appear to be operating their dwellings in an energy efficient manner; to suggest ways that occupant satisfaction and behaviour can help or hinder energy efficiency; and to show that the post-occupancy evaluation approach is an effective tool in diagnosing and improving satisfaction and energy efficiency in high-rise residential buildings.

Design/methodology/approach

Beyond measuring occupant satisfaction with IEQ, this paper uses scores and user comments from occupant questionnaires to identify success and indicate frustration and/or confusion with particular building technologies. It also extrapolates the energy efficiency implications of these responses in four Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold residential towers.

Findings

The research highlights where problems occur, particularly with the adoption of new technologies which may not be well understood by the occupants. It also identifies behaviour patterns that may negate energy efficiency strategies.

Research limitations/implications

The lack of dwelling metre data prevents this research from making causal links between behaviours and their energy implications. Also, the lack of Canadian benchmarks for satisfaction of occupants means that comparisons can only be made to cases from the UK, which is less robust.

Originality/value

This type of work has never been done in Canadian residential high rise towers before. It helps to better understand the process of ensuring that occupants successfully adopt innovation that can lead to energy savings.

Details

International Journal of Energy Sector Management, vol. 8 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6220

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 February 2018

Husrul Nizam Husin, Abdul Hadi Nawawi, Faridah Ismail and Natasha Khalil

There are rising issues with the delivery performance of Malaysian low-cost housing (LCH) because the occupants are inclined to perceive safety hazards. Among the safety issues…

1391

Abstract

Purpose

There are rising issues with the delivery performance of Malaysian low-cost housing (LCH) because the occupants are inclined to perceive safety hazards. Among the safety issues raised during the occupancy period in LCH are structural instability and falling building fragments. Without defining the occupants’ requirements in the early housing development, it is hard to determine the prevailing safety factors. Hence, this paper emphasises the application of post occupancy evaluation (POE) that incorporates participation from the occupants as a tool to assess the safety performance of Malaysian LCH. The purpose of this study is to develop a framework of POE integrated with safety elements for Malaysian LCH.

Design/methodology/approach

This research was carried out with a quantitative method using questionnaires as the survey instrument involving safety inspection survey and satisfaction surveys. The inspection survey and OccupantsSatisfaction Survey were carried out based on 24 LCH projects located in the federal territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In total, 380 samples were used for both surveys. Statistical correlation was used to affirm the incorporation of occupants’ participation towards safety performance in the POE approach. The Spearman’s rho (r) correlation was used in the analysis for variables in both surveys which consisted of an ordinal scale.

Findings

The correlation result revealed that there was a significant relationship among all safety attributes between safety performance and occupantssatisfaction. Therefore, a framework consisting of POE and safety elements has been proposed based on the significance of both variables. The development process of the framework used the vital phases of POE and inputs of safety elements which consisted of three main stages: planning phase as safety input, conducting phase as safety process and applying phase as safety output.

Research limitations/implications

The surveys were limited to the rented People’s Housing Programme located in Kuala Lumpur and not extensively to all LCH programmes in Malaysia. The surveys were also not carried out to other LCH programmes such as the Hardcore Poor Housing Programmes and the low- to medium-cost housing because of the limitations of time and resources.

Practical implications

This research has introduced a new dimension for safety performance assessment in LCH using the POE as the safety performance tool. By allowing the participation of occupants for safety assessment, this study stresses the fundamental concept of POE by highlighting the importance of obtaining feedback from the building occupants.

Originality/value

As a proactive measure, the proposed framework was introduced as an improved procedure to inspect safety performance in LCH during occupancy, in lieu of the current assessment process. Receiving complaints from the occupants after the occurrence of incidents is demarcated as a reactive approach, whereas the current inspection survey does not incorporate the occupants’ participation. Feedback from occupants is not a routine of building assessment during occupancy; hence, using POE is generally a new dimension of safety performance in Malaysian LCH.

Details

Journal of Facilities Management, vol. 16 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1472-5967

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 October 2018

Chaiwat Riratanaphong and Pongkorn Jermsiriwattana

The environmental performance of buildings can be measured by using an existing green building indicator system. In Thailand, the Thai’s Rating of Energy and Environmental…

Abstract

Purpose

The environmental performance of buildings can be measured by using an existing green building indicator system. In Thailand, the Thai’s Rating of Energy and Environmental Sustainability (TREES) has been applied to 70 buildings including condominiums. It is important to collect feedback from stakeholders to identify the criteria of green features that respond to the expectation of condominium’s potential buyers as well as the satisfaction of current occupants. This paper aims to examine prioritised aspects from potential buyers and occupant satisfaction of the TREES criteria in the case study, a green condominium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Design/methodology/approach

The case study was conducted at IDEO Mobi Sathorn in Bangkok, the only condominium certified with the TREES system so far. Research methods include interviews, observations, document analysis and the surveys from the condominium’s potential buyers and current occupants.

Findings

The findings indicate that the condominium’s potential buyers are more concerned about site and landscape, indoor environmental quality and energy and atmosphere, whereas the current occupants are more satisfied about water conservation, site and landscape and energy and atmosphere in comparison with the other TREES criteria. Despite the provision of green features in the condominium, occupants are less satisfied about green innovation as showed in the least satisfied percentage of TREES criteria. In Facilities Management perspective, the paper shows connections between TREES criteria and FM functions in multi-unit residential project. The findings show that the application of TREES criteria focuses on the provision of value in FM, whereas stakeholder perceptions regarding the TREES criteria contribute to the perception of value in FM.

Practical implications

The findings and reflections upon the finding can help to understand the impact of green building aspects of the TREES system on perceptions of different stakeholders, that is, potential buyers and current occupants of the condominium. Recommendations for real estate developers and facilities managers regarding the development of green building concept on the TREES system are provided.

Originality/value

There has been no prior research in this area. The paper provides better understanding with regard to prioritised aspects from the potential buyers and occupant satisfaction of TREES criteria in Bangkok green condominium. This paper provides empirical data regarding stakeholder perception on TREES criteria that can be used to compare with similar data of the TREES-certified condominiums when they are available in the future.

Details

Facilities , vol. 37 no. 13/14
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-2772

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 1000