Stakeholder impact analysis during post-occupancy evaluation of green buildings – a Chinese context

Abstract

The high-energy consumption of the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industry and associated environmental pollution have become a global challenge, and governments at different levels in China have been dedicated to improving the industry's sustainability. However, although the concept of green building (GB) has been growing rapidly, the primarily emphasis has been on energy-saving design with little attention paid to sustainable post-occupancy operations, which is hindering further development. To address this fundamental issue it is necessary to evaluate the post-occupancy performance of GB and, given China's current circumstances, one that involves the participation of all stakeholders to avoid being dominated by construction professionals. However, such participatory evaluations are currently very limited and perfunctory in the country, usually involving simply informing or placating the stakeholders. In response, this paper develops a comprehensive quantitative method to analyze stakeholder impact during GB post-occupancy evaluation (POE). This enables the various stakeholder groups to be prioritized in terms of their influence levels and hence contributes to maximizing overall stakeholder satisfaction by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the evaluation. The findings of the paper are expected to help clients and design teams improve their building designs by integrating the views of stakeholders through the POE in order to realize the true spirit of GB development.