(pronounced pohst AH-kyuh-pan-see ih-val-yu-AY-shun / PEE-OH-EE)

A P.O.E. (or just POE), as its name implies, is a methodical assessment of a building from the occupants’ perspective. With the goal of figuring out ways to improve function and design, it evaluates how well the structure and its interiors meet the users’ needs. A facility performance evaluation (or FPE) takes the POE a little bit further, periodically assessing the efficiency of multiple building features in relation to concerns like productivity, security, safety, accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and, most recently, sustainability. Though there are guidelines, no absolute standard rules for performing POEs or FPEs exist. The data gathered in a POE, however, will enlighten interior designers, architects, and developers, shaping the way that future buildings and their systems are designed and integrated. Quantitative analysis of what worked – and what didn’t – can prove, for example, how front-end investments such as individual temperature control or high-performance lighting might enhance worker productivity or boost patient morale, thereby reducing employee turnover or shortening hospital stays.