Post-Occupancy Evaluation of New Schools with the

Participation of Children

Dr Andrea Wheeler, Dr Masoud Malekzadeh and Professor Dino Bouchlaghem

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Problem. Why is the difference between predicted and actual energy use of schools so high? Objective. Understand this difference and determine a way to assess this difference. Action: Our emergent approach for sustainable schools. Observations. Results: POE already making a difference in schools. The importance of application of whole school methods for the construction industry.

Why are all these people so interested?

1. Design and simulation

2. Construction

The Problem. What we think is causing the difference between predicted and in-use energy consumption.

Inaccurate material specificationsFaulty workmanship

Inaccurate assumptionsLate changes (design changes that are not modelled and change performance)

3. Use

School management and leadership

Facilities management maintenance

Behaviours

Why can’t people change what they do?

Culture, Consumerism, Consumption

Influenced by school ethos, school history, lifestyle and

quality of life factors(material aspiration and consumption)

and is motivated by wider social norms.

“On our first day they sat us down and told us what we couldn’t do in the school – from the start it made us feel it wasn’t ours .

Understanding and working with school

culture – motivating school change. School culture has been defined as the dynamic relationship between community history and values and school ethos... There’s a lot of difficulties working

with them [the construction company] ...If there is a problem with the school, it’s the schools fault. [...] If there’s a problem they will blame the school... it ends up just being a frustration. [...] And then obviously on the purchasing side, whenever

anything needs to be changed, if we need a new gat e or pathway,

whatever it is, we have to go through them and the costs are so

significantly high” (Building Manager)

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Action. What we did. Three weeks of workshops.

Open Discussion (to elicit information on design use, school ethos and community values, Henry Sanoff, 2001).

“Walk-Through” (Watson, C. & Thomson, K., 2005) but using video to engage children and to capture word and image.

An energy “quiz” (adapted Gill, Z.M., Tierney, M.J., Pegg, I.M. and Allan, N. 2010).

Individual drawings/list making

An approach that could work with all ages – younger children drawing speculative imaginary “designs” older children making lists of potential improvement.

Big group “negotiated” design solutions

(Huckle, 2010, Biesta, 2009) Thinking about sharing, democratic approach to designing, critical thinking.

The Return.

The Objective. Improving school design and emergent technologies and

supporting emergent ontologies (POE that adopts innovative pedagogy).

‘What if we no longer assume that we can know the essence and nature of the human being? – or, if we treat the question of what it means to be human as a radically open question, a question that can only be answered by engaging in education rather than as a question that needs to be answered before we can engage in education’ (Biesta, 2006: 4-5).

Biesta, Gert (2009) ‘Creating Spaces for learning or Making Room for Education’ lecture as part of the Transforming Our Schools series, The University of Nottingham.http://uilapech01.nottingham.ac.uk:8080/ess/echo/presentation/98746c05-2f71-4a99-85c0-136bb4b7fd4a

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Examples. (Energy Behaviours, School Culture and Social Norms)

Attitudes to energy

efficiency and sustainability

“I think we should but we have gotten used to everything and don't want to go

back to basics” (different session) “They are telling us to

be energy efficient but... They stand there in science and say you need to save

energy and then I say well turn your lights off”

““I don't even think we are trying. It feels like they don't even think they care. But

they are always banging on about it. They are always telling us to save

energy but why not them”.

“...if no one moves in the classroom then the lights go out and so it’s like when people go out of the room the lights go off and so the bills are lower. So do you think the bills are lower in this new school? You’re paying less for your electricity and gas or not? Possibly

not, because it’s bigger.”

Do you think it’s the computers you use at home at use the most energy?

Umm, yes but and the lights.

CLIP 3 (about leaving lights and computers on) What do you think stops you then, if you know it has an impact

on the environment, and you know what to do? Some people forget sometimes,

it’s everyone that’s got to take part. It’s like I do something good, but it’s

everyone that has to take part. It’s like I do something good but someone else is still doing something… So you feel even though you’re doing your bit, others will

let you down? Yes, others will let us down. If everyone contributed then

yeah…

Case Study 1 Case Study 2 Case Study 3 –

THE ENERGY

QUIZ

TRANSCRIPTS

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3 CASE STUDY SCHOOLS

10CASE STUDY 2CASE STUDY 1 CASE STUDY 3

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CASE STUDY 3: First impressions

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Researchers: What do you think of this new school, what were your first impressions? What is this school like compared to the old school?

We had more space in the old one, outdoor space, but, everything else is better...It was, very cold in the old school, it like seemed old, old fashioned, no colour in it. It was all mixed together, and not we don’t have to go outside anymore. It was a very long way getting up all the stairs and to walk outside the doors and go to lessons. And we’d get told off if we were late [Year 9]

Researchers: When they told you, you were going to get a new school, what were your thoughts? Can’t wait, excited, I thought it

would be in like 2 weeks. (Do you think the new school inspires you? Or isn’t it the buildings that inspire you?) We have more (ICT) equipment in this school. We didn’t have enough in the old school so everyone has a chance to do more ...

“The first day I got lost, then it was quite easy because every room is marked out, every level too, there’s three different colours.” (Year 7 pupil, first s

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CASE STUDY 3: Energy efficiency –

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Researchers: Do you think the bills for the school are lower in this school? Are you are paying less for electricity and gas?

No because it’s bigger... There’s more computers, projectors, interactive whiteboards... (But on the other hand you have better windows that keep heat in?) But you can’t open them and you get too hot... But then you have air conditioning. But you only have it in ICT but when you do it’s nice and cool and then it gets too cold [different voice]. In normal classrooms you have this thing that brings air in form outside, but if it’s hot outside it’s just bringing in hot air.

Researchers: Are you aware that this is quite an energy efficient school?

Yeah, because like if no one moves, or people go out of the room, the lights automatically go off.

“I think we should stop lighting the school in the day as the sun lights

it up a lot and we’re wasting electricity” (Final ‘design’ session,

Year 8 pupil).“Are the lights movement

sensitive? I don’t think in the corridors they are. They could be movement sensitive, but even just a switch” (final ‘design’ session,)

Sometimes they [the classrooms] are really warm and the windows don’t open. None of the windows open. Only the lower ones. In the summer it’s really hot” (Year 7 pupil.) Researcher 1: “Are there things you think the architect could have done better?” “Just the windows.” (final session)

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CASE STUDY 3: Space and using it (or not being allowed to) What was said !

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Researchers: So your only complaint is that you have less outdoor space now?

No, we’ve got a big field, But we’re not allowed to go on it, the back... (So what are they doing?) We don’t know , it looks finished but we’re not allowed on it.

Researchers: What about the changing rooms?

We’re not allowed to use the showers as there’s not time. (Would you like to?) Yeah, ‘cause you’re smelly. Only the after school clubs can. [Different voice] But if you’re really dirty you can, you can if you have permission.

Researchers: What about the toilets?

They’re ok

They close the toilets on the top floors so we can only use some of them

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CASE STUDY 3: Space and using it (and it not working) What was said !

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Researcher: Would you like to have social space for yourself?

They open up the assembly hall at lunch and break so you can sit at a table and have your own little gossip. The canteen is all crowded. They put all the tables...we’ve got benches at the sides but all the year 11 and 10s sit there (is it because they get there first?) No, because they’re older. (How about the queues?) We’re supposed to have year queues (7,8,9 – Line 1) but no-one does, so it’s cold and hot food. But they don’t listen and so they go anywhere...

Researcher: If I were to tell the architects something about what you thought about the school, what would I tell them? There are too many rooms that

don’t get used, like these small rooms. (Should we turn these into classrooms?)

Researcher: What about the break out spaces, do you use them? There are quiet areas but people

tend to nick the chairs and put them in classrooms. (Do you think we should change them?) No, we use them to just talk... [35.18 032]

Sometimes people run past and knock you and it just goes over the floor. That’s what happened to my friend.

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YOUR SCHOOL, Walk-Throughs, What pupils said !

What’s good about first impressions

Year 7 playground

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YOUR SCHOOL, Walk-Throughs, What pupils said !

Break out spaces

“We like to sit under the stairs where there is carpet and a radiator, but we’re not allowed. We just like to sit there because it is inside. We just like having a quieter area you can sit and just be with your friends [...] They should have little benches [outside] people can sit on and a shelter in the winter. I know it is cold but I do like to go outside to get some fresh air. And also the lads when they play football would have somewhere for their bags” (Year 10 pupil).

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CASE STUDY 3: Critical Thinking and emergent lifestyles

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“I think we should but we have gotten used to everything and don't want to

go back to basics” (different session) “They are telling us

to be energy efficient but... They stand there in science and say you need to save energy and then I say

well turn your lights off”

““I don't even think we are trying. It feels like they don't even think they

care. But they are always banging on about it. They

are always telling us to save energy but why not

them”.

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Researcher: Do you want to tell us what you’ve written down?

I thought the amount of natural light let in, compared to the amount of unneeded light on could be improved; we could turn the lights off. And more tables and benches to sit on. Lights left on stairs, I don’t think they are movement sensitive

Researcher: So we are talking about good and bad things...or really three lists, good bad and how we can make it better.

They should have little benches people can sit on and a shelter in winter. I know it is cold but I do like to go outside and get some fresh air.

In the entrance there’s a separate entrance, we don’t need that. I don’t think we should have it because we can’t use cards or anything like that.

The democratic design process (lists and drawings)

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Comparing: Same problems as with other schools?

Windows and ventilation systems

“We also have this automatic window thing for when it gets too stuffy. When you

produce too much CO2 the windows open, it's automatic [...] If you talk too

much in classroom they open (laughs)”.  

“In the whole school there are automatic windows that you have to open and close with a key and there are only about four keys in the whole school. So that kind of means that you can’t open the windows

in some departments because you haven’t got a key.”

“Sometimes they [the classrooms] are really warm and the windows don’t open. None of the windows

open. Only the lower ones. In the summer it’s really hot” (Year 7 pupil.) Researcher 1: “Are there

things you think the architect could have done better?” “Just the windows.”

Circulation, stairs and lifts

“...everyone pushes you out of the way [...] and it takes you about 10 minutes to get out and you have to try to hold onto

the handrails to pull yourself forward [...] I go down with my brother and he makes a

little circle and I walk. [...] Older people think they are cocky and they can do

everything and so they go down the wrong side of the stairs” (Year 7 pupil)

“This is a very big area, the rooms are very big, and there is alot of room for

people to just wander up and down the corridors. Huge rooms, lots of big open spaces down here. This is the area you

are not allowed at lunchtime. You are not allowed up the stairs in the corridor at all.

People have thrown things, the lights have been broken, there are lots of dents

in the ceiling”.

“The first day I got lost, then it was quite easy because every room is marked out, every level

too, there’s three different colours.” (Year 7 pupil, first session)

Natural and artificial light

“It happens [automatic lights switch on] when you go in, but when you go out

everyone turns them off anyway. In PE that's what happens as they will go off in the changing rooms and in PE you just have to jump about a bit. In the store

rooms it is straight on. You walk in and it just turns on. Cleaners’ cupboards and

stuff”.

“In the art and music corridor there are full size windows, they go down the full

length of the building, the problem is that you have to, if you have projectors on in an art department you can’t actually see because they don’t have blinds so you can’t actually lower the blinds so the

projector can see so then you can’t really see anything.”

“I think we should stop lighting the school in the day as the sun lights it up alot and we’re wasting electricity” (Final ‘design’ session, Year 8 pupil).

“Are the lights movement sensitive? I don’t think in the corridors they are. They could be movement sensitive, but even just a switch” (final ‘design’

session, different group of pupils)

Case Study 1 Case Study 2 Case Study 3 –

Not allowed

Artificial Lighting

2020

What did you and others say about your school and it’s design?

Social space(strongly related to the lunchtime experience)

“We go up to the shop at dinner time but at break we just stay around. I'll just stand

around over there or walk around. We have got a coffee machine now that we are allowed to use and a lot of people

stand around there [...] At dinner we play football on the Astroturf and a lot of

different years join in”. “...we go out to chippy. It's nicer. There are just year 10s

and 11s and there's no queues [...] We go most days (different voice). Not every time

to eat just to get out of the madness” (Year 10 pupils).

“This is the atrium space [...] It does get a bit messy because there are not enough chairs and people have to

wander around and hope for the best and see if they can find a seat at

lunchtime [...] It is used as the packed lunch area at lunchtime and chairs come out of the cupboard over there for people to sit on but there isn’t a lot of space and there isn’t enough room for everybody to

‘sit-in’”.

“We like to sit under the stairs where there is carpet and a radiator, but we’re not allowed. We just like to sit there because it is inside. We just like having a quieter area you can sit and just be

with your friends [...] They should have little benches [outside] people can sit on and a shelter

in the winter. I know it is cold but I do like to go outside to get some fresh air. And also the lads

when they play football would have somewhere for their bags” (Year 10 pupil).

Gym, fitness suites, dance rooms, changing

rooms and showers

(Dialogue from ‘walk-through’) “As you can see we have these lockers but no one

uses them, you can see they are broke” Researcher 1: Do you have to carry all

your PE clothes around all day?” yeah, in a bag”. (different ‘walk-through’ session)

(From a ‘walk-through’) “The drains in this department are very dodgy and the changing rooms smell a lot because the

drains get blocked and if something happens it means you have to ring up Liverpool to put it on the caretakers list

that the drains need fixing because that’s where [building company] Headquarters

are.”

“...we should have lockers, we have to carry our PE kit around all day. I think we should have

lockers where the PE room is so that when we have PE... or in our form room.” (From a final

‘design’ session)

The Wallk Through

Case Study 1 Case Study 2 Case Study 3 –

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What did you and others say about your school and it’s design?

Outside space, sports facilities and multi use

games areas

“That’s the field and the tennis courts and there were the Astroturf is that’s where we had our old building you can’t come down

here at break but you can at dinner.” Researcher 2: “So does it have a fence or something for where you cannot go in the

break time?” “No a teacher just stands there”.

“Up at the top we have a MUGA. Multi-use games area. There are some people on it right now. And then we have the bus

station. There is a stage thing that, an outdoor thing, for a band, but we’ve

never used it”.

“At the moment we’re in a different playground to all the other years. [...] I think it is better I think it’s because older kids are just bigger and if we’re on

the same playground they can hurt us easier.” (Year 7 pupil.)

Quality of space/ innovative design

“It [Global Conference Room] is for meetings as well but while we are learning there are cameras. There is meant to be a

camera here. Where you can learn with other schools and you can learn the same lessons. But we've never done it”. (Year

10 pupils on “walk-through”)

“It’s a good job the camera doesn’t pick up smell because it stinks. [The school had a ongoing problem with smells from

the drains.] Sometimes it smells, the drains arn’t very good.”

Researcher 1: “Are there things you like the most about the building? Things your primary school didn’t have, or just things you like?” “It’s better

because you get to move around the school and not just stay in one classroom.” (Year 7 pupil.)

ICT and computers “All the computers are always on, they are never switched off by the power. They are always on standby. [...] it's just that the monitor is off. You just logoff and you don't

shut it down”.

“In there [computer room] as well is the study centre [full of computers] and it

gets very hot and even if the air con is on only slight areas get it and it gets very

hot.”

“On hot days the IT suites are the best because of the air conditioning.”

Case Study 1 Case Study 2 Case Study 3 –

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Summary User Findings

1. Contradictions between what adults say and what they tell children to do.

2. Poorly functioning building features (windows, heating and ventilation systems, circulation, dining spaces) and either over provision or under provision of space and facilities, together with teachers prohibiting use of facilities (toilets locked, .

3. Lack of ownership of PFI buildings4. Lack of understanding of the ‘sustainable’ design

features of the new school building – solar heating panels

5. Convoluted facilities management procedures 6. A mismatch between designers intention and teachers

ability to manage the behaviours of pupils – (many examples – dining biggest issue)

Summary Technical Findings

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Stories and Statistics (Mixed mode methodologies and analysis)

Simple content analysis, transcripts – themes emerging

Adults contradictory behaviours, everyone has to do their bit, ownership and agency.

Narrative analysis (children’s story telling it’s role and meaning)

Emergent lifestyles, ways of being, ways of living – supporting them.

Visual analysis Design Themes, dining spaces, ICT, artificial lighting, comfort.

Comparison with numerical data – energy use (electricity and gas) and school temperatures, lighting and ICT complaints.

Verification

Comparison (return visit). What are the children saying

Verification

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Recommendations

Artificial Lighting Artificial lights left on during the night (switching off lights – all but essential – 6pm 7.30 am?) Lights in corridors being left on in daylight need to be better addressed – better motion timers, accessible controls to allow them to be switched off?

Heating Better and immediate controls (children can change temperatures in rooms?) Efficient BMS. 18 degrees for classrooms, children suggest hotter. Could turn down? Maintenance issues for PfI schools resolved?

ICT Timers to hibernate mode, Eco-groups to make sure white boards and computers are switched off (shaming teachers?)

Dining Experience All schools we visited had problems with the deign of dining spaces. Designers need to understand that management issues for 1000 + pupils will take precedent and whilst dining spaces are being designed for multiply sittings this is very difficult for teachers to manage.

Behaviour change? 20% reduction

Eco-Teams, eco-warriors, educational initiatives - More radical educational changes, coming in later in the morning, 6 weeks holiday in winter?

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RESULTS: CASE STUDY 1

Problem areas to be addressed (ICT and artificial lighting), more integration?

Individual teachers in the school took an immediate interest in making changes to whiteboards and computers left on in the school. The ICT and artificial lighting problems addressed by management on a larger scale would also resolve childrens’ complaints about contradictory behaviour by adults information about environmental concerns. Even this simple action would be expected to also make significant savings to the school energy bills.

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RESULTS: CASE STUDY 2

Negotiations with council to pay their own bills

The School plans to enter into discussion with the local authority to gain responsibility for paying their own bills and putting measures in place to save 20%. They intend to discuss also with the construction company owners/facilities management team how to gain control from their desks of the BMS system, how to develop a better way of ensuring lights and ICT are turned off – with the intention of using the saving money for new educational initiatives in the school.

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RESULTS: CASE STUDY 3

Modifications to the School Building over the Summer.

The School planned after our workshops to make changes to the school to improve the dining experience, open up the MUGA and save money by a different artificial lighting strategy in corridors. This would also mean that the school will be on track to make significant savings on its consumption of energy.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF ADAPTED “WHOLE SCHOOL” POE for the Construction Industry

The Advancement of knowledge.

Improving Design Quality.

Improving Energy Efficiency.

Lowering Actual Energy Use in Buildings.

Educational benefits, engaging with young people, improving knowledge of sustainable design amongst children and young people. Supporting emerging lifestyles.

Changing behaviours through initiatives attentive to school culture.

Allowing construction companies to address their social obligations to buildings more sustainable communities.

THANK YOU!a.s.wheeler@lboro.ac.uk

m.malekzadeh@lboro.ac.uk