Who conducts post-occupancy evaluation interviews?

A post-occupancy evaluation (POE) is a process conducted after a project is completed and occupied to assess its performance from the user’s perspective. The NCIDQ IDPX exam emphasizes the designer’s role in conducting POEs to gather feedback and improve future projects.

Option A (Building owner):The building owner may participate in the POE by providing feedback, but they do not typically conduct the interviews. The owner is a stakeholder, not the facilitator of the evaluation.

Option B (General contractor):The general contractor is responsible for construction, not post-occupancy evaluations. Their role ends at project completion, and they are not typically involved in assessing user satisfaction after occupancy.

Option C (Design professional):The design professional (interior designer or architect) is responsible for conducting the POE, as they are best positioned to evaluate how well the design meets the client’s needs and to gather feedback for future improvements. This aligns with the designer’s role in project closeout and evaluation.

Option D (Furniture manufacturer):The furniture manufacturer may provide input on product performance, but they do not conduct the POE interviews, which focus on the overall design and user experience, not just furniture.

Verified Answer from Official Source:

The correct answer is verified from NCIDQ’s official study materials on project closeout and evaluation.

“The design professional typically conducts post-occupancy evaluation interviews to gather feedback from the client and users about the project’s performance.” (NCIDQ IDPX Study Guide, Project Closeout Section)

The NCIDQ IDPX Study Guide specifies that the design professional is responsible for conducting POE interviews to assess the project’s success and identify areas for improvement. This role ensures that the designer can directly engage with the client and users, making Option C the correct answer.

Objectives:

Understand the designer’s role in post-occupancy evaluations (NCIDQ IDPX Objective: Project Closeout).

Apply evaluation methods to assess design performance (NCIDQ IDPX Objective: Contract Administration).