Application of Post-Occupancy Evaluation in the Design of Collegiatae Educational Space: (Case study: Faculty of Arts and Architecture, Islamic Azad UniversityTehran South Branch)

This paper aims to evaluate post-occupancy criteria in academic educational buildings, considering the dynamic nature of buildings and their susceptibility to internal and external environmental changes. The study emphasizes the importance of post-occupancy evaluation and user participation as a means to address the limitations of building usage. By engaging users and designers in a two-way interaction, the aim is to enhance building residents' satisfaction and improve overall performance.The research focuses on assessing the alignment between user needs and the functional response of the building, comparing these responses to established design standards. The quantitative growth of universities and the lack of qualitative development in educational spaces make this research crucial. A qualitative-quantitative (hybrid) approach was used for this study.After determining the criteria for post-occupancy assessment, the research evaluated the effectiveness of the design of an art college and the quality of education provided. A specially designed questionnaire was completed by 50 verified and reliable participants who were the main users of the college. The sample size was determined to be 3,000 people, with 341 individuals selected as the statistical population.The questionnaire assessed the current state by scoring various factors on a scale of 1 to 5. Content validity was established through expert opinions, and reliability was determined using SPSS software. Descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM) in SmartPLS software were employed to analyze the data. This analysis identified the relationship between research variables and evaluated their impact on the design. Components were prioritized based on their scores, and less significant components were disregarded. This process led to the development of structural equations, path coefficient models, and factor loadings for the conceptual model. Based on the model and analysis of findings, including climatic information and design standards, the research proposes design solutions for the educational space of the faculty of art and architecture in Islamic Azad University- South Tehran Branch.