Stage 7
In Use
Chapter overview
Stage 7 acknowledges the potential benefits of using the project design information to assist with the successful operation and use of the building. Many of the Stage 6 handover duties will be concurrent with this stage. Although the contract administrator’s role will have been completed at the end of Stage 6, the contract administrator may have an input into evaluating the Project Outcomes based on their experience of administrating the Building Contract.
This chapter considers how the contract administrator role interfaces with other roles at this stage and how advice and decisions made at this stage are used as Feedback for future projects.
The key coverage in this chapter is as follows:
Introduction
Stage 7 is a new stage within the RIBA Plan of Work 2013. It acknowledges the potential benefits of using the project design information to assist with the successful operation and use of a building throughout its life after handover and through to its eventual demolition. While the end of a building’s life might be considered at Stage 7, it is more likely that Stage 0 of the follow-on project or refurbishment would deal with these aspects as part of strategically defining the future of the building or to inform other new projects.
Stage 7 includes Post-occupancy Evaluation and review of Project Performance as well as new duties that can be undertaken during the ‘In Use’ period of a building. It can also form part of the BSRIA Soft Landings framework, which was developed in response to the growing realisation that sustainability, energy efficiency and the overall performance of new and existing buildings needs to improve. Although the framework comes from a building services background, these principles are equally valid in other contexts whether or not the formal Soft Landings system is used.
It should be noted that Stage 7, although part of the core RIBA Plan of Work 2013 stages, might not be part of the scope of work for all or some of the design team. On larger, more complex projects, however, it should be seen as a defined work stage and so command an additional fee.
What are the Core Objectives of this stage?
The Core Objectives of the RIBA Plan of Work 2013 at Stage 7 are:
The Core Objectives at Stage 7 are wholly related to carrying out Post-occupancy Evaluations and other work (to be specifically agreed with the client on a job-by-job basis) so that relevant information can be used as Feedback to inform Stage 0 on subsequent projects. In general terms it is unlikely that the contract administrator will be directly involved at this stage, but their input from the construction stage will be invaluable.
What supporting tasks should be undertaken during Stage 7?
The Suggested Key Support Tasks noted in the RIBA Plan of Work 2013 have been devised to support the Core Objectives and to ensure that the documentation prepared will assist the user in managing their building better and to enable Feedback to future projects. At this stage the Suggested Key Support Tasks are:
- Conclude activities listed in Handover Strategy including Post-occupancy Evaluation, review of Project Performance, Project Outcomes and Research and Development aspects.
- Updating of Project Information, as required, in response to ongoing client Feedback until the end of the building’s life.
The support tasks during this stage are focused on reviewing the building in use and updating Project Information as required, providing Feedback throughout the life of the building and informing future projects.
What is building performance evaluation?
There are two key ways of evaluating the building after handover: Post-occupancy Evaluation and building performance evaluation.
Post-occupancy Evaluation (see page 213) focuses on stakeholders and how the building is to operate and whether it supports their needs and aspirations, whereas building performance evaluation focuses on the performance of the building as a whole.
It is acknowledged that buildings often do not perform as well in use as the theoretical design, creating a shortfall in the performance of the building. Public and private clients alike have recognised this gap between predicted and actual performance and have begun to require operational performance targets within new-build contracts. In Stage 7 this underperformance can be analysed and understood to ultimately provide evidence to inform subsequent Stage 0 activity.
Building performance evaluation typically comprises study of the building as a set of interdependent systems relevant to the activities of the facilities management team. A frequent problem, especially in buildings with complex environmental requirements, is that system control interfaces are too complex for the operatives involved and, as a result, do not get used to full efficiency. Stage 7 can be invaluable for identifying this type of issue, allowing appropriate retrospective interventions to be developed and, most significantly, the avoidance of a repeat of the issue in subsequent projects.
Feedback to Stage 0
The appropriate information from the Post-occupancy Evaluation can be fed back to Stage 0, where data from the existing building can be used to inform the briefing process for the refurbishment and alteration of the building or even for similar new projects.
Feedback can be derived from materials produced as required by the Building Contract, such as the health and safety file, operating and maintenance manuals and drawings, and used to aid future objects. However, there is potential for Building Information Modelling (BIM) to have an increasing impact. The BIM model would have been used throughout the design and construction process and updated with as-built information at handover, in the same way as traditional drawings should be. The BIM model would be handed over to the client, where it should be updated and maintained as necessary therefore providing a good platform from which to launch future projects.
The other lessons from the Post-occupancy Evaluation, such as how people actually use the building, will similarly inform the development of the Strategic Brief for the next project.
What of the future?
The contract administrator needs to be alert to changes which will inevitably develop in the ongoing monitoring of a building in the future.
As greater emphasis is placed on the successful handover of the building at the end of Stage 5 there is a strong argument for increasing the defects period to three years. Indeed there has already been talk that the government is considering including three-year maintenance contracts as part of all public sector building projects. This would change the nature of the Building Contract and the tasks the contract administrator might have to undertake in this context.
Another potential area for change is Project Performance. Even buildings which were designed to be energy efficient have not always met their design targets when tested in use and, as a result, are using too much energy. Extending the contractor’s liability to ensuring that the building meets the design criteria will bring the design standards and expectations into sharper focus, especially on larger projects.
Setting the Project Outcomes at an early stage with regard to energy and construction standards will focus the contractor on ensuring that target Project Outcomes are known, measured and met. This can be achieved by making the Maintenance and Operational Strategy more robust and by making the contractor responsible for ensuring that the building meets the design targets.
Chapter summary 7
Although the contract administrator will have completed their work at the end of Stage 6 and would not necessarily be involved at this stage, this chapter has looked at the principles of any Post-occupancy Evaluations.
By going through this exercise, the design team is able to identify good and bad experiences, which may benefit the future design and construction process. Furthermore, the people involved will take back something to their work, practice and the industry to improve future projects, whether related to the original building or not.