Course Information
SemesterCourse Unit CodeCourse Unit TitleT+P+LCreditNumber of ECTS CreditsLast Updated Date
1MİM615Building Evaluation Methods and Techniques3+0+037,515.10.2026
Course Details
Language of Instruction Turkish
Level of Course Unit Doctorate's Degree
Department / Program Architecture (PhD)
Type of Program Formal Education
Type of Course Unit Elective
Course Delivery Method Face To Face
Objectives of the Course The aim of this course is to critically examine advanced theoretical approaches, research paradigms, and methodological frameworks in building performance evaluation and Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE), enabling doctoral students to investigate building evaluation processes from a rigorous scientific perspective. The course aims to develop students ` ability to comparatively analyze existing evaluation models, formulate research problems addressing different building types and user needs, justify the selection of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research methods, and conduct a comprehensive evaluation study of an existing building. It also seeks to strengthen students ` capacity to relate empirical findings to theoretical knowledge, critically assess methodological limitations, and develop original, evidence-based approaches to building performance evaluation.
Course Content Theoretical and epistemological foundations of building performance and building evaluation approaches; historical development, theoretical models, and methodological evolution of Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE); integrated assessment of the technical, functional, behavioral, and environmental dimensions of building performance; relationships among user–space interaction, user satisfaction, and spatial performance; comparative and critical analysis of building evaluation models and performance indicators; quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches in POE research; research design, sampling strategies, development of data collection instruments, and methodological triangulation; research validity, reliability, ethical principles, and methodological limitations; advanced data analysis and interpretation of findings; critical examination of POE studies across different building types; design and implementation of a comprehensive post-occupancy evaluation study of a selected building; integration of empirical findings with theoretical frameworks; development of evidence-based improvement strategies and original evaluation approaches for building performance; presentation and discussion of research findings in accordance with scientific reporting principles.
Course Methods and Techniques The course is conducted through advanced theoretical lectures, critical literature reviews, scientific article analyses, research seminars, comparative case studies, academic discussions, and research-based learning. Students critically examine theoretical approaches and methodological frameworks in Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE), formulate research problems, and develop scientifically justified research designs. During the practical phase, students conduct data collection, analysis, and performance evaluation of a selected building. Empirical findings are related to theoretical frameworks, methodological limitations are critically discussed, and evidence-based improvement recommendations are developed. The learning process is supported by individual research activities, academic presentations, scholarly discussions, instructor feedback, and a comprehensive research report prepared at the end of the semester.
Prerequisites and co-requisities None
Course Coordinator Asist Prof.Dr. İrem Köse https://profil.hku.edu.tr/akademik/dr-ogr-uyesi-irem-erkurt-kose/ irem.erkurt@hku.edu.tr
Name of Lecturers Asist Prof.Dr. İrem Köse https://profil.hku.edu.tr/akademik/dr-ogr-uyesi-irem-erkurt-kose/ irem.erkurt@hku.edu.tr
Assistants None
Work Placement(s) No

Recommended or Required Reading
Resources Preiser, W. F. E., Rabinowitz, H. Z., & White, E. T. (1988). Post-occupancy evaluation. Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Preiser, W. F. E., & Vischer, J. C. (Eds.). (2005). Assessing building performance. Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann.
Preiser, W. F. E., Hardy, A. E., & Schramm, U. (Eds.). (2018). Building performance evaluation: From delivery process to life cycle phases (2nd ed.). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56862-1
Zimring, C. M., & Reizenstein, J. E. (1980). Post-occupancy evaluation: An overview. Environment and Behavior, 12(4), 429–450.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2024). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Course Notes Course materials include advanced lecture presentations prepared by the instructor, foundational and current scientific publications, theoretical studies, research articles, book chapters, and case reports related to building performance and Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE). Students are expected to critically review relevant literature, compare different evaluation approaches and research methods, and complete weekly research assignments and article analyses. Students also prepare research designs, data collection instruments, analyses, and scientific reports as part of an original building evaluation study conducted on a selected building.

Course Category
Field %100

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods
Activities are given in detail in the section of "Assessment Methods and Criteria" and "Workload Calculation"

Assessment Methods and Criteria
In-Term Studies Quantity Percentage
Assignment 1 % 40
Final examination 1 % 60
Total
2
% 100

 
ECTS Allocated Based on Student Workload
Activities Quantity Duration Total Work Load
Course Duration 14 3 42
Hours for off-the-c.r.stud 13 7 91
Assignments 1 45 45
Final examination 1 45 45
Total Work Load   Number of ECTS Credits 7,5 223

 
Course Learning Outcomes: Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
Bilgi 
1 Critically analyzes theoretical approaches, evaluation models, and methodological frameworks in building performance and Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE).
Beceri 
2 Formulates original research problems in building evaluation and identifies appropriate performance indicators and advanced research methods based on scientific justification.
3 Designs a comprehensive post-occupancy evaluation study of a selected building and systematically collects and analyzes quantitative and qualitative data.
Yetkinlik 
4 Critically interprets research findings in relation to theoretical frameworks, evaluates methodological limitations, and develops original, evidence-based recommendations for building performance.

 
Weekly Detailed Course Contents
WeekTopicsStudy MaterialsMaterials
1 Conceptual framework, knowledge production approaches, evaluation paradigms, and the role of building performance evaluation in architectural research. Review of foundational theoretical references on building performance evaluation. Theoretical articles, foundational textbooks, and lecture presentation.
2 Historical development, theoretical models, evaluation levels, and life-cycle relationships of Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE). Comparison of theoretical assumptions underlying different POE models. Foundational POE books, theoretical articles, and model examples.
3 Relationships among technical, functional, behavioral, and environmental performance dimensions; user–space interaction and critical evaluation of performance indicators. Investigation of performance indicators used across different building types. Studies on performance indicators, evaluation matrices, and scientific articles.
4 Evaluation of theoretical trends, research gaps, methodological differences, and scientific contributions in POE research. Preparation of a structured literature review and critical article analysis in the selected research area. Selected database-indexed articles, literature analysis tables, and research references.
5 Scientific problem formulation, development of research questions, construction of theoretical frameworks, and justification of original contributions in building evaluation research. Development of research problems and questions based on identified literature gaps. Research design references, examples of conceptual frameworks, and scientific articles.
6 Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods designs; sampling strategies, methodological triangulation, and scientific justification of research design. Comparison of alternative methods suitable for the selected research problem. Research methodology books, methodological articles, and sample POE studies.
7 Development of questionnaires, interviews, observations, behavioral mapping, and environmental measurement instruments; measurement quality, validity, reliability, ethics, and research limitations. Preparation of draft data collection instruments aligned with the research questions. Examples of measurement instruments, research ethics guidelines, and methodological references.
8 Assessment of theoretical and methodological knowledge; presentation of a research proposal covering the research problem, literature gap, theoretical framework, methods, and expected scientific contribution. Preparation of the research proposal, methodological justification, and presentation. Research proposal document, course references, and assessment criteria.
9 Selection of an existing building; development of an evaluation model, user groups, sampling strategy, performance indicators, and research protocol. Collection of available data on the selected building and preparation of the research protocol. Building documents, research protocol templates, and evaluation models.
10 Development of research-specific performance criteria and data collection instruments; pilot testing, instrument evaluation, and methodological refinement. Preparation of the original evaluation matrix and pilot study plan. Evaluation matrix, questionnaires, interview forms, observation checklists, and pilot study records.
11 Implementation of the research protocol in the selected building; collection of spatial and functional observations, user research data, and relevant environmental performance data. Completion of site access arrangements, necessary permissions, and data collection instruments. Fieldwork forms, building plans, data collection instruments, and research protocol.
12 Completion of fieldwork; comparison of different data sources, verification of data quality, and methodological evaluation of the research process. Identification of missing data, organization of datasets, and completion of field records. Field data, user responses, observation records, and data verification tables.
13 Analysis of quantitative and qualitative data using appropriate techniques; triangulation of data sources, evaluation of performance indicators, and integration of empirical findings with the theoretical framework. Completion of data analyses and presentation of findings through tables, charts, and evaluation matrices. Datasets, analysis outputs, performance matrices, and methodological references.
14 Theoretical and critical interpretation of POE findings; evaluation of research validity and limitations; discussion of evidence-based improvement strategies and original methodological contributions. Preparation of the discussion section and statement of scientific contribution. Research findings, relevant literature, draft evaluation report, and improvement recommendations.
15 Presentation of the POE study in scientific report or article format; evaluation of theoretical contribution, methodological originality, empirical findings, limitations, and future research opportunities. Preparation of the final research report, scientific presentation, and methodological self-assessment. Final research report, scientific presentation, analyses, and assessment rubric.

 
Sustainable Development Goals
Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes
P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10
All 5 5 4 5
In1 4 1 1 4
Sk2 5 4 4 5
Sk3 5 5 5 1
Co4 5 5 4 5

  Contribution: 1: Very Slight 2:Slight 3:Moderate 4:Significant 5:Very Significant