Re-evaluation of a LEED Platinum Building: Occupant experiences of health and comfort.

BACKGROUND: There is a need to better understand the perceived experiences of workers in green buildings as the literature to this point has been mixed.

OBJECTIVES: To re-evaluate occupant experiences within a LEED platinum building and investigate current experiences in general.

METHODS: An online post occupancy evaluation (POE) survey of 62 occupants of LEED Platinum building on a US college campus is reported. The online survey addressed indoor environmental quality in relation to health, productivity and satisfaction.

RESULTS: Of the respondents, 38.7% had participated in a prior POE of this building in 2011 and results were compared for this subgroup, as well as for overall results. There was a significant increase in satisfaction with office workstations and air freshness as compared to 3 years earlier. However, there was also a significant increase in reported frequency of all physical symptoms. When looking just at the current POE results, control over features of the workstation had a significant relationship with most outcomes of interest.

CONCLUSION: While improvements have been noted, issues continue to exist that have implications for health, productivity and satisfaction. The results of this study have implications for the ergonomic design of workstations and indoor environmental quality within LEED buildings.