Alicia Regodon Puyalto 01

UNIVERSIDAD POLITÉCNICA DE MADRID
ESCUELA TÉCNICA SUPERIOR DE ARQUITECTURA DE MADRID
Methodology for spatial optimization based on the

digital trail. Case studies: flexible workplace and
coliving spaces
________________________
Metodología para optimizar espacios basada en la
huella digital. Casos de estudio: espacio de trabajo
flexible y coliving
TESIS DOCTORAL
Author:
Alicia Regodón Puyalto
Architect
2021
Methodology for spatial optimization based on the digital trail. Case studies: flexible workplace and coliving spaces
PhD Thesis. Alicia Regodón
Departamento de Construcción y Tecnología Arquitectónicas, Escuela Técnica Superior

de Arquitectura de Madrid
Methodology for spatial assessment based on the digital trail

analysis. Case studies: workplace and Coliving spaces
________________________
Metodología de evaluación espacial basada en el análisis de la
huella digital. Casos de estudio: espacios de oficinas y Coliving
Author:
Alicia Regodón Puyalto, Architect
Director:
Alfonso García Santos, PhD Architect
2021
I
II
Methodology for spatial assessment based on the digital trail analysis. Case studies: workplace and Coliving spaces
Tribunal nombrado por el Sr. Rector Magfco. De la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, el

día ............. De ..................................... de 20 ..........
Presidente:
Vocal:
Vocal:
Vocal:
Secretario:
Suplente:
Suplente:
Realizado el acto de defensa y lectura de la Tesis el día .......... de ............................. de 20......

en la E.T.S.A.M. // Facultad ........................
Calificación ..................
EL PRESIDENTE LOS VOCALES
EL SECRETARIO
III
IV
PROFESSIONAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I acknowledge the support of the Technical University of

Madrid for the support in the development of the Doctoral
Thesis research.
I acknowledge the support The University of Sydney

for enabling my international stay.
I acknowledge the support of BICG. The current thesis was

conducted thanks to the research and innovation carried out in
collaboration with BICG, without whom, the results and innovation
in the workplace field would not be possible. Special thanks to all
the employees from BICG who participated in case study 1.
Acknowledgement to Urbancampus, for supporting the

investigation and promoting innovation and research in the
Coliving and residential spaces sector, and for enabling
the investigation and the development of case study 2.
V
Acknowledgement to
United Nations Human Settlements Programme
UN-Habitat,
Acknowledgement to
Green Building Council Spain for Sustainable
building design and assessment methodologies.
VI
PERSONAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Gracias a mis padres por ser un modelo y por el apoyo siempre. A mi madre y a mi padre, a
las transferencias de conocimiento, leerme las 85 figuras y más de 200 citas, el sentido
común y quererme siempre
.
Gracias al tribunal de tesis de doctorado por el interés en la investigación y por la devoción a
la investigación y. la ciencia.
.
Gracias a Alfonso García Santos por confiar en mi, más que yo, tirar, empujar y sacarme una
sonrisa cada vez que iba a verle con el trabajo atrasado, recuperar mis ganas de seguir y
darme fuerzas para no abandonar ante las adversidades o mi desánimo
.
A Iñaki Lozano y a BICG por inventar incansablemente, innovar y hacer posible esta
investigación
.
A Fernando Vallejo por ser el mejor jefe del mundo y a Carlos Lozano por todos esos viajes a
la hora del rompe hombres y por enseñarme tanto
.
A BICG y todos los empleados por ser parte de estos estudios
.
A Urban Campus por dejarme bucear en sus datos, por ser una empresa innovadora y por
buscar nuevos caminos para nuevas formas de vivir
.
Gracias a Enri por ser, y estar, siempre, no tengo palabras de agradecimiento porque sabes
que este doctorado es tuyo también
.
Gracias a Cris por ser la mejor amiga, compañera y consejera que se puede querer y poner el
listón tan alto que llegar al primer escalón ya parece una gran hazaña
y a Sergio, su novio, por esa tranquilidad que emana, la paciencia y la sabiduría y certeza en
momentos de incertidumbre
.
Gracias a Donny por recordarme la importancia de lo más sencillo, respirar
.
Gracias a Sophie Rollings por su ayuda inestimable en llevar a cabo estos experimentos
.
Gracias a Kike Delgado por su amor por la ciencia de datos y sus explicaciones para
dummies de lo invisible o indescifrable del mundo de los datos
.
Gracias a Rita Delgado por estar ahí siempre a pesar de no entender lo que hacía porque lo
hacía o porque soy tan loca, estar ahí
.
Gracias a mi prima Elena por la paciencia, los ánimos, ofrecer su ayuda incondicional
siempre y ser increíble de mayor quiero ser como tu
.
Gracias a Eugenia por esa alegría, esas ganas y esa fuerza, transmite felicidad solo con estar
cerca. Y los momentos gochos también, siempre
VII
.
Gracias a los Carnivaleros, porque estos meses lejos me han pesado mucho y solo soñaba con
ser libre y poder volver a vernos y disfrutar como antes
.
Gracias a Selene por ser una hermana mayor y ayudarme como a una de sus alumnas, además
de ser la mejor vecina que podía tener
.
Gracias a a todos los cantantes y músicos que han hecho esta tesis posible, que me han
acompañado en todas las noches de soledad escribiendo, a la música de concentración, a la
música de primavera, otoño, verano e invierno, a la salsa de los jueves, a Brasil, a los clásicos
españoles, a Pau Donés y a La vida moderna y los monólogos
.
Gracias a Ro, Juli, Rastas, Vicky y Clari, por ser el mejor grupo de amigas del mundo
.
Gracias a Bel y Clau, a mis heroínas, por ser los otros dos vértices, que siempre están ahí para
recordar las tres somos una figura completa, mágica y preciosa, y nunca un insignificante
punto. Por ser un triangulo geográficamente disperso pero conectado, por creer en mi
siempre, por releer mis artículos y corregirlos y porque las echo muchísimo de menos
.
Gracias a Chema, incondicional, por su conocimiento de la ley y su tremenda paciencia,
sabiduría y buen rollo, y porque no solo tengo la suerte de tenerle cerca, si no que siempre
está ahí
.
Gracias a Jandro y a Angel por estar apoyando en la distancia y alegrarme los días, a Fer
porque es pensar en la uni y te echo de menos
.
Gracias a CCLavapies por esas salidas de escape y de charleta
.
Gracias a Zoomora
.
Gracias a Dani por la banda sonora y la compañía, por transmitir tranquilidad y llamar a mi
puerta cada día y preguntarme que tal estoy.
.
Gracias a Tania y a ET por estar loca y cantar por la ventana alegrándome la tarde.
Gracias a Ana por dejarme a Coco para hacerme compañía.
.
A Jesusa y a Mireia y a esa comunidad de Zoomora, por estar tan locas y alegrarme cada día
.
Gracias a ET, Coco, Jazz y Mao por hacerme compañía silenciosa en las noches de estudio y
a sus madres de nuevo por quererlos tanto
.
A Ferkanic por aparecer en los peores momentos, sacarme a pasear, hacerme ver la belleza de
Madrid a dos ruedas y acelerarme la cadencia
.
A Miren, por ser tu, y ser lo mejor que me traje del fin del mundo, creo que Bilbao es más
bonito solo porque tu estás allí
.
A Cristina Rickarte, porque no me canso de decirte que te quiero y te echo de menos, cada
año lo seguiré diciendo
.
VIII
A Alex por venir desde Down Under y ser parte de este tribunal de tesis te admiro muchísimo
compañero de profesión y ojalá nuestros caminos se vuelvan a cruzar en el futuro
IX
A los anónimos y anónimas
X
ABSTRACT
The continuous improvement of spatial design has always been the aim of architectural,
construction and engineers (AECD practitioners) as well as the real estate sector. The necessity
to understand and meet the needs of the users drives practitioners to analyse and innovate when
designing new spaces or refurbishing the current ones. On the other side, the market, due to its
endless search for profit maximization and spatial optimisation, also enhances this race for
human-driven spatial optimization. The role of technology in spatial analysis has added a new
dimension, bringing new resources, like data analytics, to drive spatial performance assessment
by providing insights to evaluate the use, operations, and wellbeing of users within spaces.
The main contribution of this thesis is the design of a tool, in service of architects, to quantify
the possibilities of use, dimensioning, occupancy and relationships between people and in
spaces. The tool evaluates the existing technological infrastructure in a space or building with
the aim of understanding what data can be obtained from the space under study, and how this
data may or may not contribute to the spatial analysis providing insights to enable building
performance analysis, environmental footprint analysis or to improve the user experience. All
this is according to the objectives set for this space.
The methodology created for the tool is based on a classification of the existing data sources
in the building, their categorisation according to the information provided and the description
of the data that the sources provide to measure parameters such as occupancy, space usage
patterns, user satisfaction or the level of comfort and emissions. By applying the methodology,
the tool assesses the level of digital maturity of the building in its current state. This allows us
to understand how to assess and improve the design of future spaces based on the results of the
analysis. The tool is corroborated through the implementation of two pilot studies.
Using data analysis to evaluate the use of active spaces has received little attention. It is just
now when data analysis is being more common and the need to improve spaces, rise
performance and reduce expenditure that Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) methods and tools
like the current research are rapidly escalating. Until now, technology in the spaces was mostly
implemented to improve the construction process of the buildings (like automation of building
XI
techniques, building modelling techniques BIM, or technology to drive the operations and
management of the buildings).
The current research is one of the first studies to develop a framework of study to analyse the
IT infrastructure of the buildings to provide feedback to architects and spatial practitioners that
enables them to improve the future design based on real data from the actual use of spaces. Not
based on virtual modelling or scattered or isolated feedback or surveys performed eventually
to the users or owners of space. The tool, developed and tested in two buildings, opens a path
to improve the spatial design, continuously and iteratively, thanks to a real-time understanding
of the use of spaces, especially in a moment of accelerated change driven by digitalization and
COVID-19 pandemic.
Keywords: Human-centred design, Post-Occupancy Evaluation; sustainability; space profiling;

user experience, workplace, Coliving, COVID-19.
XII
RESUMEN (SPANISH)
La mejora continua del diseño espacial ha sido siempre el objetivo de los profesionales de la
arquitectura, la construcción y la ingeniería, así como del sector inmobiliario. Querer
comprender y satisfacer las necesidades de los usuarios impulsa a los profesionales a analizar
e innovar a la hora de diseñar nuevos espacios o reformar los actuales. Por otro lado, el mercado,
debido a su permanente búsqueda de la maximización de resultados y la optimización del
espacio contribuye a esta carrera por la mejora del uso de los edificios. El papel de la tecnología
en este paradigma ha añadido una nueva dimensión, aportando nuevos recursos, como la
analítica de datos, donde se evalúa el uso, la gestión y el bienestar de los usuarios en los mismos.
El principal aporte de esta tesis es el diseño de una herramienta, a disposición de los arquitectos,
para cuantificar las posibilidades de uso, dimensionamiento, ocupación y relaciones entre las
personas y en los espacios. Dicha herramienta evalúa la infraestructura tecnológica existente
en un espacio o edificio con el objetivo de conocer qué datos podemos extraer actualmente del
lugar examinado, y cómo estos datos pueden contribuir al análisis espacial. Permitiendo
mejoras en el análisis de la eficiencia del edificio, el análisis de la huella ambiental o en la
experiencia del usuario. Todo ello en función de los objetivos marcados para este espacio.
La metodología creada para la herramienta se basa en una clasificación de las fuentes de datos
existentes en el edificio, su categorización según la información extraída y la descripción de
los datos que las fuentes proporcionan. Se miden parámetros como la ocupación, los patrones
de uso del espacio, la satisfacción del usuario o el nivel de confort y las emisiones, entre otros.
Al aplicar la metodología, la herramienta evalúa el nivel de madurez digital del edificio en su
estado actual. Su utilidad práctica se ha verificado en dos estudios piloto realizados en esta
investigación: uno en una oficina y otro en un Coliving. Estos permiten entender cómo evaluar
y mejorar el diseño de los espacios futuros en función de los resultados del análisis.
La incorporación de los datos en el análisis de edificios desde una perspectiva centrada en las
personas ha recibido escasa atención hasta el presente. Es ahora, con la universalización del
uso de nuevas tecnologías cuando los estudios que incluyen métodos y herramientas de
evaluación de los espacios, como la presente investigación, están teniendo lugar. Hasta ahora,
XIII
la tecnología se implementaba sobre todo para mejorar el proceso de construcción de los

edificios (como la automatización de las técnicas de construcción o las técnicas de modelado
de edificios BIM).
La presente investigación es innovadora en cuanto se fija desarrollar un marco de estudio para
analizar la infraestructura informática de los edificios. Con el fin de proporcionar una
retroalimentación a los arquitectos y profesionales de la gestión de espacios que les permita
mejorar el diseño, basándose en datos reales del uso actual de los mismos. No se basa en
modelizaciones virtuales ni en opiniones o encuestas aisladas realizadas eventualmente a los
usuarios o propietarios del espacio. La herramienta abre una vía para mejorar el diseño espacial,
de forma continua, especialmente en un momento de cambio en que vivimos, acelerado por la
digitalización y acentuado por los confinamientos derivados de la pandemia del COVID-19.
Palabras clave: Diseño centrado en el ser humano, evaluación posterior a la ocupación;

sostenibilidad; perfil del espacio; experiencia del usuario, oficina, Coliving, COVID-19.
XIV
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PROFESSIONAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................... V
PERSONAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................. VII
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................................... XI
RESUMEN (SPANISH) .................................................................................................................................. XIII
TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................................... 1
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 5
1.1 MOTIVATION ................................................................................................................................................... 7

1.2 HYPOTHESIS .................................................................................................................................................. 12
1.3 OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................................................... 12
1.4 THESIS STRUCTURE AND PROCESSES MAP ............................................................................................................. 14
CHAPTER II THESIS METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................. 19
2.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 21

2.2 PHASE 01 ..................................................................................................................................................... 24
2.3 PHASE 02 ..................................................................................................................................................... 24
2.4 PHASE 03 ..................................................................................................................................................... 25
2.5 PHASE 04 ..................................................................................................................................................... 26
2.6 CONCLUSIONS CHAPTER II ................................................................................................................................ 28
CHAPTER III STATE OF THE ART .................................................................................................................... 29
3.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 31

3.2 FLEXIBLE SPACES ............................................................................................................................................ 31
3.3 FRAMEWORK OF RESEARCH .............................................................................................................................. 38
3.4 DATA ANALYSIS OF SPACES................................................................................................................................ 42
3.5 CONCLUSIONS CHAPTER III ............................................................................................................................... 57
CHAPTER IV DIGITAL POE TOOL ................................................................................................................... 60
4.1 STAGE 1: DIGITAL POE METHODOLOGY............................................................................................................ 62

4.2 STAGE 2: PILOT DESIGN.................................................................................................................................. 65
4.3 STAGE 3: PILOT DEVELOPMENT........................................................................................................................ 87
4.4 STAGE 4: DIGITAL POE TOOL .......................................................................................................................... 87
1
4.5 CONCLUSIONS CHAPTER IV ............................................................................................................................... 88
CHAPTER V CASE STUDY 1............................................................................................................................ 92
5.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 94

5.2 MATERIALS AND METHODS .............................................................................................................................. 96
5.3 RESULTS ..................................................................................................................................................... 109
5.4 DISCUSSION................................................................................................................................................. 117
5.5 CONCLUSIONS CHAPTER V .............................................................................................................................. 119
CHAPTER VI CASE STUDY 2......................................................................................................................... 123
6.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................ 125

6.2 MATERIALS AND METHODS ............................................................................................................................ 125
6.3 RESULTS ..................................................................................................................................................... 141
6.4 DISCUSSION................................................................................................................................................. 152
6.5 CONCLUSIONS CHAPTER VI ............................................................................................................................. 154
CHAPTER VII ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS ....................................................................... 157
7.1 DIGITAL POE METHODOLOGY. DIGITAL MATURITY INDEXES ................................................................................. 159

7.2 SPATIAL ANALYSIS ......................................................................................................................................... 161
7.3 PARAMETERS ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................. 163
7.4 VISUALIZATION PLATFORMS ............................................................................................................................ 175
7.5 SPATIAL FEEDBACK / SPATIAL PROFILES ............................................................................................................. 179
FINAL CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................................. 181
CONCLUSIONES FINALES (SPANISH) ........................................................................................................... 187
FUTURE LINES OF RESEARCH...................................................................................................................... 190
INDEX OF TABLES....................................................................................................................................... 195
INDEX OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................................... 198
BIBLIOGRAPHY .......................................................................................................................................... 202
ACRONYMNS ............................................................................................................................................. 218
ANNEXES ................................................................................................................................................... 220
ANNEX A: DATA SOURCES FLASHCARDS .................................................................................................................. 222

ANNEX B: CASE STUDY DATA COLLECTION............................................................................................................... 230
ANNEX C: DIGITAL POE METHODOLOGY QUESTIONNAIRE ......................................................................................... 232
ANNEX D: DIGITAL POE TOOL QUESTIONNAIRE ....................................................................................................... 241
ANNEX E: POST OCCUPANCY EVALUATION OF COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION WORKS BREEAM CERTIFICATION ARTICLE
COPIED FROM BREEAM 2020. ...................................................................................................................... 246
2
4
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
The following chapter details the motivation that leads the research investigation of the
Thesis, the hypothesis and the main objectives
5
6
1.1 Motivation
Technology is the answer, but what was the question?

Cedric Price, (Price, 1979)
The speed of change is accelerating, requiring us to think faster, decide faster and act faster
(Meyer and Davis, 2000). This means we have to be smarter in understanding the needs of the
population to design or redesign spaces, having more tactical skills for change, accelerating
our learning curve as well including resources like artificial intelligence and big data to broaden
our views and multiply our sources of information to be able to learn, and apply new knowledge
at an at least, similar speed to the one change occurs today in our society.
We used to say that we know that we are experts, or have expertise on something, but until
when our expertise will be valid until it becomes obsolete. We live in what is called VUCA
Figure 1 environments: volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. Soon, nobody will be an
expert on anything anymore, at this pace of change. We need to multiply our resources, our
sources of information and the speed we process data to be able to make decisions that drive
the future of in such a liquid society.
Figure 1 V.U.C.A. Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous. Definition (slfcrisis.com)
The metaphor to describe the condition of constant mobility and change in relationships,
identities, and global economics within contemporary society was defined by Zygmun Bauman
already in 1988 (Bauman, 2005; Gane, 2001) as liquid mobility. Now, we are immersed in this
fluid condition of living, working, thinking and being and we see technology as the only
7
miracle to keep pace of speed. An extension of this fluid nebulose arising between human
cognizance and digital wisdom.
The motivation of the research is to demonstrate that insights of technology already installed
in spaces provide valuable information of actual user behavior and spatial performance that can
improve Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) assessments and overall architects, engineers,
construction and design (AECD) practitioners knowledge space and how it is used.
The research shows that “digital trail” (digital footprint or digital shadow refers to one's unique
set of traceable digital activities, actions, contributions, and communications manifested on the
Internet or digital devices) generated by the different data sources installed in the building helps
architectural practitioners to assess spatial use patterns and spatial performance and aim to
improve the future design of spaces. Overall, a building is shaped not only by physical materials,
but it is also built of data Figure 2.
buildings
Figure 2 Buildings are filled with data that can be evaluated (Heiskanen, 2016)
... architecture is intimately interwoven with the life of an era in all its aspects (...,) as soon as
an epoch tries to mask itself, its true nature will always be revealed through its architecture".
(Giedion, 2008)
Architectures that neglect their end-users, are not more than inhabited sculptures. Vitruvio´s
triad from the 40 BC founded the origins of architecture on three pillars: "utilitas, firmitas and
venustas", the essence of any construction(Vitruvius Pollio, 40AD). "Utilitas" highlighted the
need of spaces to have a purpose, a function for its end-users, this is what made architecture
different from sculpture, that it needs to be occupied to be considered alive.
This investigation arises from the interest of the definition of the "perfect space" in an
environment of continuous change. Identifying the perfect space as the one that meets its users
‘needs and requirements, from the understanding of a human-centre approach to space and the
future of spaces. The perfect space is the one that adapts to fulfil the needs of its users regarding
spatial optimization, users’ wellbeing and comfort and minimizing the environmental impact
8
during the operational phase. The current investigation studies spaces designed for humans as
end users and focusing on the needs of this beneficiaries, what we will call human centred
spaces (HCD).
Buildings are designed with an original purpose, which may change along the building life
cycle. In the cities, where resources are available, but land is scarce, only buildings whose
function is still useful will remain. Those, whose original purpose does not meet the current
needs of the users or of the market, are obsolete, or are simply disapproved by the users, will
be unoccupied and with time will certainly disappear due to different reasons: ageing, cost
pressure, demolished or substituted by others that respond to newer needs, a new “utility”.
Financial performance of buildings includes construction costs, operational cost, and
maintenance costs, 2 of the former parameters play a significant role of cost optimization
during the operations phase of the building. Optimizing spaces can reduce operational and
maintenance costs and understanding and improving buildings design impacts the design of
future spaces.
The premise is that the perfect space is not static, but liquid, as society is fluid as well(Bauman,
2005; Gane, 2001), spaces are in continuous evolution due to the continuous shift in the users’
interests. Human behaviour, and therefore our use and understanding of spaces is constantly
evolving(Gu and Wang, 2012; Pereira et al., 2018). Innovation in tools and technology, the
way we shape relationships, and the understanding of well-being are not static factors. Spaces
should respond to fit the user needs, considering users’ needs variate, spaces must evolve
parallelly to the evolution of the interest of its users, to provide the best environment for them
at every moment.
The interest of understanding the use of spaces in architecture has several guarantors:
- Architects, engineers, and construction practitioners (AEC): Traditionally the
lifespan of a building is between 35-60 years (Marsh, 2017), but as we know buildings
are constructed to last even longer. Users´ needs change over time and in relation to
societies, AECD practitioners are responsible for designing spaces that fit the user’s
needs and can adapt over time. A better understanding of the real use of spaces during
operations phase, thanks to data would enable designers evolve and create better spaces
in the future. If architects could get feedback and repeat the construction process several
times, as if it were a videogame, the final building product would get better with each
iteration (Heiskanen, 2016).
- Users: End-users, inhabitants of spaces have the ultimate interest in living in, working
at or visiting spaces that are comfortable, functional and beautiful as for what the
9
Vitruvius triad. Multiple studies correlate spatial performance with health and
wellbeing (Ayuso Sanchez et al., 2018; Loftness et al., 2003; G. R. Newsham et al.,
2009), user satisfaction (Arundell et al., 2018; De Been and Beijer, 2014; Kim et al.,
2018; G. Newsham et al., 2009; Ozkan et al., 2015; van der Voordt, 2004) and even
with productivity (Clements-Croome, 2017, 2000; Kamarulzaman et al., 2011; Oseland
and Bartlett, 1999; Pilcher et al., 2002). The responsibility of AECD professionals is to
build resilient buildings and update and adapt to the users’ changing needs.
- Anthropologists, sociologists, lawyers: International human rights law recognizes
everyone’s right to an adequate standard of living. This includes but not only adequate
housing (UN-Habitat, 2013) and sustainable cities (Caprotti et al., 2017). Over a billion
people are not adequately housed (UN-Habitat, 2013). Analysing the use of spaces,
human well-being and the experience of its users is essential to analyse human
behaviour and answer the needs in terms of adequacy of space, socio-cultural
background, affordability and environmental performance.
- Developers, owners: Built space today, is a resources turned into a commodity, it has
value, and that value is non static, but regulated by the market. Spaces can be built,
rented, sold, demolished and renovated, the political economy of contemporary
capitalism transforms it in a normal investment (Clarke, 1986; David, 2010; Gottdiener
and Feagin, 1988; Lefebvre, 1991). Functional space is a market appealing commodity,
the value relies in diverse ratios and parameters such us, quality, location, use, beauty,
non-functional space on the opposite, less appealing to the market, loses value. It is in
the interest of the market, the developers and the owners of these commodities, to
pursue the highest value. Functionality is therefore a must.
The interest in analysing the built space and how to improve it is a constant concern of human
beings. It just now that technology, and particularly data analytics is determining a breaking
point in the way we obtain information that enables spatial analysis. Apart from the overall
interest of knowing about the use of space, technology is making information more accessible
in every field.
Our spaces and our users are everyday more digitalised, the presence of data is growing in
every field, enabling new ways of measuring spatial performance. Nevertheless, there is very
little emphasis in professional journals and architecture discourse on post-occupancy
evaluation (POE), the real evaluation of spatial performance during the use phase of the
building. These methods have been known for decades, but they are seldom used to gain insight
for future projects.
10
Data has always existed, spaces analysis has always been present, through multiple ways,
observation, surveys, counting tools or even basic sensors. Until the XX1st century, our
collective understanding of how people interact with cities and the built environment has
historically been limited to structured and punctual interactions with users to collect data
mostly through surveys or other analogical methods, that although have provided valuable
insights, have little scalability and scope to expand in time and different locations.
It is just recently, the era of globalization and normalization of the access to technology, devices,
infrastructure, and internet, that this progress can also be seen in the way spaces are analysed.
The future of spatial design will be based on integrating the data from different disciplines and
inputs to provide a smart and holistic solution enabled by new technologic tools. These,
combined with other behaviour, performance and environmental data sources and resources
can collaborate to improve the overall user experience and drive forward to an experience-
based approach to space design.
This new way of measuring, tracking and analysing space will radically change the way we
understand space design and space planning. Designers will now design spaces that better fit
their user needs in terms of space, comfort, infrastructure, furniture, technology. It will also
optimize the use of spaces and become predictive, to anticipate the needs of both users and
design experts.
11
1.2 Hypothesis
The hypothesis of the current research is the following:

It is possible to create a methodology to understand spatial performance and improve
future design of spaces based on Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) of data generated
from in-built technology infrastructure of the buildings.
1.3 Objectives
The main objective (Objective 1) of this thesis is to:
Develop a methodology to analyze current spatial performance and improve future design
of spaces based on the digital trail from the data from in-built technology infrastructure
of the buildings.
Premises for the objective 1:
- To analyse buildings with a certain level of digital maturity. The buildings need to have at
least 1 data source that provides data related to the use of the spaces by the occupants.
- To be designed for "flexible spaces" spaces or buildings were users have the possibility to
move freely. The methodology is tested in 2 case studies buildings. A flexible workplace and
a Coliving space, both in Madrid.
- Aims to collect data during the "use phase" of the building and from a Human Centred Design
(HCD) perspective of space.
- Relies on in-built technology infrastructure, meaning the network of devices or digital tools
already installed in the buildings, no additional sensors, or other data collection methods.
- Aims to provide us with a non-intrusive, GDPR compliance analysis of identified occupancy
and usage patterns.
- This methodology will have to be open and dynamic, adaptable to different spaces to respond
to different buildings and periods of time; it will adapt to the data collected, the tools used, and
the environment analysed to be replicable and scalable.
The secondary objectives of the current research are:
12
Objective 2: To understand the state of the art of the POE analysis of indoor spaces and
specifically the incorporation of data analytics to workplace and coliving spaces.
Objective 3: To define a systematic approach to establish the steps and indicators of the
methodology to analyse the existing data sources and potential spatial improvements.
Objective 4: To generate a tool. The ”Digital POE Tool" that identifies the data sources
available in a space for digital trail analysis, data to be collected and the relationship of this
data with to provide information that improves user experience, health and wellbeing and
operations.
Objective 5: To apply the tool and the methodology pilot to a workplace building.
Objective 6: To apply the tool and the methodology pilot to a residential building. (coliving)
13
1.4 Thesis structure and processes map
The thesis arises from the following two questions, Figure 3, on how to improve the design of
spaces based on the needs of the users.
Question A:
Can we improve spaces designed based on real needs of the users? Can technology
Question B:
real needs of the users? Can technology help us measure these needs?
Figure 3 Research questions (author design)
The following processes map Figure 4 structure describes de structure and development of the
investigation.
The main input of the thesis is to create a methodology (Objective 01) to be able to understand
and measure the users’ needs in every space based on the available data sources and built-in
infrastructure. The Digital POE Tool (Objective 04) will assess the possibility to use in-built
technology to measure the use of space, based on the available data sources in the space and
the corresponding information that can be obtained.
The tool has been tested in 2 spaces, a flexible workplace (Objective 05) and a Coliving
(Objective 06). In both spaces the analysis of the spaces using the established methodology
enabled to obtain partial conclusions from the information curated from the different data
sources curated and an overall conclusion that the tools developed enables analyse the spaces
analysis in search for empiric human-centred approach to the use of space.
14
15
Figure 4 Thesis structure & progress map (author design)
16
The previous map is a conceptual description of the thesis structure. The thesis
methodology has been developed in different phases described in the following chapter.
17
18
CHAPTER II THESIS METHODOLOGY
The following chapter introduces the methodological approach undergone for the
Thesis definition.
19
20
2.1 Introduction
The following thesis methodological approach is a structured framework of the study

pursued during 5 years of research 2016-2021. Figure 5 shows the breakdown of Phases,
Objectives, and activities within each objective.
Figure 5 Thesis methodological framework approach (author design)
The research process is closely related to the professional career of the research Table 1.
Starting in 2016 with an international stay at the University of Sydney. The research focuses
in aiming to find a methodology to be able to investigate in new, digital and scalable ways
of learning from a human centred approach of the use of spaces during the Use Phase of
buildings and to create a methodology that enables to classify and understand buildings
using the data that can be collected to improve future design of spaces and bring AECD
practitioners closer to learning from user behaviour and the impact of this to occupancy
and usage patterns and from that to the impact in future design.
After the international stay at the University of Sydney where the researcher coursed a
Master in Development Studies, specializing in participatory and sustainability.
21
The researcher comes back to Madrid and joins Di-Dy, a team within BICG of
multidisciplinary expert that are developing a platform, software tool to understand and
analyse human and behavioural dynamics of workplace spaces to improve the experience
of the employees, optimize spaces and improve operations of office spaces. The Digital
POE Tool is a standardization and research-based evolution of Di-Dy,. The Digital POE
Tool would be a pre-assessment to Di-Dy, the Digital Dynamics platform.
The objective of the Digital POE Tool is to provide insights on what parameters of a
building can be measured based on the available an installed data sources of the building.
The Digital POE Tool is an open and dynamic platform that aims to grow with the time,
incorporating new data sources and classifying the information that can be obtain from
them and what is the level of data analysis that the available tools can provide.
A second dimension to the research comes with the engagement with Urban Campus, a
Coliving operator company that has 2 coliving buildings in Madrid and aims to improve
user experience, well-being and operations of spaces based on smart analytics of spaces.
The Digital POE Tool, transforms and incorporates new parameters becoming a more
standardised tool that can analyse different building typologies and incorporates the
assessment of the process of analysis, ETL and data visualization process for each building.
The 2 pilot studies are the entitled representation of this evolution of the research and the
development of The Digital POE Tool and Methodology of the Digital POE Tool
application. The pilot studies are different examples of the application of the Digital POE
Tool in different stages of the design process and the iteration of the tool thanks to the
learnings from both studies.
The last stage of the research is the enrolment in the United Nations UN-Habitat Global
Solutions Division for the Land, Housing and Shelter Section. Where the researcher is
developing an assessment of Sustainable Buildings and Construction tools and
certifications to provide a global self-assessment tool that builds on current tools and
certifications to be able to assist practitioners in the design and execution of projects.
The whole research path is a 5 year learning process into digital assessment of spaces and
generating a not-technical user-friendly tool that enables AECD practitioners to design
more sustainable spaces based on learnings from the real use of current buildings.
The following sub-sections narrate the development of the different phases of the study.
22
Table 1 Thesis methodological timeline (author design)
23
2.2 Phase 01
Phase 1 is structured is focused on the definition of the subject of study. The definition of a
thesis hypothesis, it is possible to to create a methodology to understand spatial performance
and improve future design of spaces based on Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) of data
generated from in-built technology infrastructure of the buildings. The objectives will mark the
intermediate stages of the research methodology.
2.3 Phase 02
The Phase 2 corresponds to the definition of the state of the art (Objective 02) in which the
focus was to define the starting point of the thesis, the current flexible spaces, the level of
building digitalisation, data analysis and the most recent progress regarding digital approach to
human centred design and Post-Occupancy Evaluation of spaces. The state of the art also
narrates and understands the evolution of offices and residential spaces from the traditional
offices residential building to the current rising of new and more flexible typologies of office
spaces and coliving spaces.
Figure 6 illustrates the structure of Phase 2 state of the art definition, centred in the relationship
between new technology and progress of data analysis to be applied to HCD POE methods and
applied to Flexible spaces such as workplace environment and coliving.
Figure 6 State of the art definition (author design)
24
During 2020-2021 the research incorporated the change in paradigm and transformation
distorted and accelerated by the COVID19. Although Phase 1 started in 2017 it has been
undergoing in parallel and updated until 2021 to remain updated on the latest innovation in the
field that is constantly progressing due to the fast transformation of the spatial assessment and
data analytics sector.
2.4 Phase 03
The phase 03 is the centre of the research, the development of the methodology to assess spaces
the main a methodology to perform digital POE analysis and results in the Digital POE Tool
an open dynamic tool that classifies assesses the POE analysis that can be performed based on
the available data sources.
The research phase 03 is directly linked to the work developed together with the two innovative
companies that work in flexible spaces. Business Innovation Consulting Group (BICG) and
Urban Campus. As previously mentioned, the thesis has a strong link to industrial research.
The methodology is an evolution of the methodology for Digital Dynamics assessment of office
spaces developed during her professional practice as Project Manager and Product Manager at
BICG.
The tool is a standardisation and broadening of an initial prototype, Di-Dy developed by a
multidisciplinary team of professionals of BICG that created an innovative digital platform on
the basis of dashboards that integrate data from different data sources of the office spaces to
assess employee dynamics and Company Experience®, Alicia was part of this initial team as
a Product Owner and continued the research on a standardised tool to escalate the assessment
and assess a wider selection of buildings. The team lead by BICG, Carlos Lozano Business and
Product Lead and Fernando Vallejo as Architectural and Spatial Design Lead.
The second period of the methodology development was performed at Urban Campus, where
the methodology already standardised was applied to another building space and evolved to a
more professional, data sources assessment tool and methodology.
Chapter 4 will narrate the structure of the methodology Figure 7, the main objective of the
thesis, and the steps and describe the composition of the Digital POE Tool Figure 8, objective
04 of the thesis in detail. These two objectives are briefly introduced in this chapter as part of
the phases description.
25
Figure 7 Digital POE Methodology
Figure 8 Digital POE Tool
2.5 Phase 04
Phase 4 consists of piloting the developed tool in the 2 research spaces, the headquarters of
BICG a 469m² flexible workplace space in Madrid and a 2296m² Urban Campus coliving in
Madrid.
26
During Case Study 01. The workspace research phase, the pilot was centred in comparing the
value added of including digital assessment of workplace space. The pilot study compares
traditional analogical space assessment with a digital assessment. The available data source in
the space is the Wi-Fi infrastructure the research investigates the role of Wi-Fi indoor location
technique to assess occupancy and use of spaces. The objective is to learn from the value added
of Wi-Fi to provide information for spatial assessment and usage of space compared to
traditional indoor location techniques.
In the workspace it was particularly relevant the understanding of Wi-Fi networks as data
sources of information of occupancy and use of space. The Figure 9 shows this theorical
approach.
Figure 9 Wi-Fi methodology process scheme (author design)
The second phase of the research was related to the second case study of a Coliving space. This
case study was chosen due to several reasons first one the hypothesis that if it the methodology
developed and the tool created must be universal, they should enable to analyse different
typologies of spaces, the second reason is because Coliving is a new trend in housing that
enables users to move within the whole building, the current case study has 2296m² of space
were the users can move freely an therefore enable us understand their use of space and
preference, for housing models this is very unique, and also the Coliving owns the data
produced at the spaces, enabling an easy access to data resources. Last reason is the engagement
of the researcher with Urban Campus through professional relationship as explained in the
introduction.
As a summary, the methodology enabled the piloting of the tool in 2 different typologies of
spaces, enabling to improve both tool and methodology. The pilots also served to compare the
functioning of both spaces, the data sources, the data insights, the process and procedures, and
27
the level of accuracy and scope required in both spaces according to the needs of BICG and
Urban Campus assessment.
2.6 Conclusions chapter II
The methodology of the thesis enabled to pursue a wide an complete research that enabled to
fulfill the main objective of the thesis "to develop a methodology to analyze current spatial
performance and improve future design of spaces based on the digital trail from the data
from in-built technology infrastructure of the buildings."
This methodology is implemented through the use of the Digital POE Tool, that aims to
improve future design of spaces based on real use of spaces and the methodology to apply the
tool during the use phase of the buildings and based on POE analysis. The methodology and
tool are open, standardised, dynamic, digital and scalable resources a that can be implemented
to different building typologies and locations. The next steps is to expand the methodology to
other buildings and spaces to strengthen the POE analysis and improve future design of spaces.
28
CHAPTER III STATE OF THE ART
The following chapter presents the evolution of flexible spaces both workplaces and shared
living spaces as well as an overview of the evolution of technology to assess spaces through
data analytics and indoor location techniques and the latest impact in current trends such as
POE and HCD.
29
30
3.1 Introduction
Human behaviour is key to the design and operation of spaces, which creates the opportunity
to go beyond the physical and technical aspects of building performances when designing and
managing building spaces. (Jens et al., 2020)
A greater awareness in architects and planners of their real value to society could, at the
present, result in that rare occurrence, namely, the improvement of the quality of life as a result
of architectural endeavour. Cedric Price (Dorato, 2020)
The state of the art is composed as a set of apparently scattered topics that are structured around
3 areas of research Figure 10, the methods for evaluating spaces during the use phase, the
research on office spaces and coliving spaces and the technology to analyse spatial performance,
use and users behaviour in these spaces.
Figure 10 State of the art structure
3.2 Flexible Spaces
Spaces as a service means spaces are not static and users are not assigned to a specific space,
but they are free to move around the spaces and free to choose what spaces to occupy, the space
becomes an enabler of activities. Flexible workplaces refer to the ones that enable users’
mobility. Unlike a traditional office, users are not assigned to their workspaces but are more
31
prone to move freely and chose spaces. In a residential space, a Coliving, unlike in a traditional
house, users can move freely within a large percentage of the spaces of the building and are
free to choose the space they want to be at.
The current research will be based on two case studies of flexible spaces, a flexible office and
a Coliving. That freedom of choice, together with the level of digitalisation of these spaces
enable a smart study of the spaces.
3.2.1 Flexible working spaces
The workplace is undergoing a dramatic transformation in its transition from the industrial age
towards the knowledge age(Counsell and Puybaraud, 2007). The requirement to anticipate and
predict change is crucial to making the most of the transition and remaining sustainable(Saurin
et al., 2008; Spath et al., 2010). Market changes have led to the growth of new types of offices:
open-plan, activity-based offices, multitenant offices, informal offices (Monje Pascual,
2021)and new ways of working (van Meel and Vos, 2001). To understand how the workplace
is developing, it is necessary to understand new work styles, patterns, and locations that will
ensure organizations stay effective in the long term (Saurin et al., 2008). Current spaces have
a level of digitalisation that enables to use data analytics from built-in infrastructure to collect
data on spaces performance, use and users behaviour (Regodón et al., 2021).
Several factors have driven the transformation in workspaces: the sharing economy (Bouncken
and Reuschl, 2018), the need for flexibility (von Zumbusch and Lalicic, 2020; Weijs-Perrée et
al., 2019), the increase in self-employed workers, and the use of mobile devices (Monje Pascual,
2021; Rolfö et al., 2018; von Zumbusch and Lalicic, 2020; Weijs-Perrée et al., 2019).
3.2.2 Work Dynamics and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Following the development of mobile Information and Communication Technology the

activity-based flexible office (A-FO) has been implemented worldwide (Appel-Meulenbroek
et al., 2011; de Croon et al., 2005; Golden, 2007; Seddigh et al., 2014; Wohlers and Hertel,
2016). The reasons for implementing A-FOs are to decrease facility costs, increase flexibility
and employee satisfaction (de Been et al., 2015; Hirst, 2011; Kim et al., 2016; Rolfö and
Babapour Chafi, 2017), stimulate interaction, improve creativity and efficiency, reduce
footprint, and attract personnel and external clients (van der Voordt, 2004; Vos and van der
32
Voordt, 2002). The concept offers a variety of settings to support different work activities
(Appel-Meulenbroek et al., 2011) and is normally dimensioned for 70% of the workforce
(Danielsson and Bodin, 2008). Hence, employees choose where to carry out their work on a
daily basis and share work desks and workspaces. The concept is also termed multispace office,
flexible office, hot-desking office, non-territorial office, and activity-based office (Brunia et
al., 2016; Kim et al., 2016; Knight and Haslam, 2010; Ruohomäki et al., 2015). However,
although the office concept is the same, the physical office setting (space configuration and
plan layout) and usage vary between A-FOs (Danielsson and Bodin, 2008; Rolfö and Babapour
Chafi, 2017). The physical office setting and usage are decided in the design and
implementation process (Lahtinen et al., 2015; Rolfö and Babapour Chafi, 2017).
Research has shown that employee performance and satisfaction in offices are affected by
working conditions provided by the physical office setting. For example ambient conditions
such as lighting, air quality and noise (Sundstrom and Sundstrom, 1986), and the provision of
privacy, territoriality and communication (de Croon et al., 2005) affect performance and
satisfaction. However, results regarding employee performance and satisfaction in A-FOs are
inconsistent (de Been and Beijer, 2014; Nijp et al., 2016; Rolfö et al., 2017a). A-FOs have been
shown to increase perceived performance through increased team-work quality and
communication (de Croon et al., 2005) and fewer distractions (Seddigh et al., 2014). Moreover,
the concept has also been shown to increase physical and mental demands such as finding and
adjusting a workplace (Rolfö et al., 2017a; Wolfeld, 2010), decreasing perceived performance.
For employee satisfaction, the office concept has been associated with modern interior design,
and high aesthetics and autonomy (Rolfö et al., 2017a), but also with lack of privacy and
personal territory, and impaired interpersonal relations (Brunia and Hartjes-Gosselink,
2009; de Croon et al., 2005; Morrison and Macky, 2017; Rolfö et al., 2017a; van der Voordt,
2004). ABOliterature suggests that fewer negative and more positive work condition
consequences are reported in A-FOs that have had an extensive design and implementation
process (Brunia et al., 2016).
Activity-based working, or New Ways of Working, is a philosophy whereby employees
determine for themselves where, when and how to conduct their work (Appel-Meulenbroek et
al., 2011). Hence when relocating to A-FOs, employees face a change in ways of working.
From a sociotechnical perspective, this autonomous, flexible working philosophy puts new
demands on the interdependent components of the sociotechnical system. The components are
(1) the technological, (2) the personnel, (3) the organizational, and (4) the external environment
subsystem (Hendrick and Kleiner, 2016). The sociotechnical system theory is used for
33
designing new work systems and facilitating the process of change that, for example, is
involved in office design and organizational development (Porras and Robertson, 1992).
However, the sociotechnical perspective is not discussed in the literature on ABO design
processes.
However, it is the COVID-19 crisis that has established an unprecedented global situation
where millions of people in countries around the world have been subjected to staying at home
for long periods of time, with remote working becoming the only option (Bergefurt et al., 2021;
Moretti et al., 2020). This has clearly demonstrated that after the pandemic, workplaces need
to adapt quickly to new environments where digitalization, flexibility, and health and safety
are essential (Alonso-Almeida et al., 2021; Berbegal-Mirabent, 2021; Colenberg et al., 2021;
Jens and Gregg, 2021; Mariotti et al., 2021; Robelski et al., 2019).
To achieve this, the understanding of human work dynamics (Capdevila, 2013; Parrino, 2015)
and new ways of working (van Meel and Vos, 2001) and the ability to predict the spread of
viruses and diseases in the office (Meneses and Moreira, 2012) and adapt quickly to changes
(Clements-Croome, 2017) have become key to success in envisioning the future world of work.
After COVID-19, this has accelerated (Jens and Gregg, 2021); remote working has become a
necessity for companies to keep their businesses operating, setting a precedent for flexibility at
work (Berbegal-Mirabent, 2021; Tønnessen et al., 2021). The pandemic has made
commonplace what was already a reality in the most advanced, digital workplaces; white-collar
workers could already work without a fixed workstation through online connected
communities (Garrett et al., 2017), proving that virtual space is not location-specific (Curwell
et al., 2005), but goal-driven. White-collar workers, dismissed from their fixed workstations,
were able to use their mobile devices to move and work freely within a wider variety of spaces,
inside and outside the office (Sankari prev. Kojo and Nenonen, 2016). Nevertheless, they still
seek work environments that stimulate networking and collaborative possibilities (Spinuzzi,
2012), which has led to the growing popularity of coworking spaces (Rodrigues et al., 2021;
Sankari prev. Kojo and Nenonen, 2016; Weijs-Perrée et al., 2019), known to enhance
performance and social networks (Candido et al., 2016).
3.2.3 Coliving
Designing the perfect home for its resident has been architects’ ambition for centuries, aesthetic
perfection, functionality, which responds to the consumer’s market. Today, the residential
34
sector is experiencing a paradigm shift due to the changes in needs of its inhabitants: the
incorporation of technology in spaces(Agee et al., 2021), remote working trends (Cleaver and
Frearson, 2021; Popowska, 2017), workforce intercity and intercountry relocation and fluidity.
Additionally, an unaffordable urban housing market (Wetzstein, 2017) that makes houses non-
accessible for part of the population and an increase in loneliness (Hertz, 2020; Miller, 2020;
Smith and Lim, 2020) are factors that are driving people towards diverse rental typologies with
more shared spaces and innovative plug-and-play solutions, like coliving (Osborne, 2018). This
is a trend that has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic (Browne et al., 2021; Nanda
et al., 2021).
Before COVID-19, Europeans spent around 55%–66% of their time at home—home indoors—
(Schweizer et al., 2007); these ratios have increased during the pandemic, when people spent a
considerably larger amount of time at home due to restrictions. In 2021, a new normality has
brought new routines and evolving requirements for residential spaces.
COVID-19 has led to a redefinition of the way we live, how we use our residential spaces, our
behaviour and home responsibilities (Del Boca et al., 2020). Loneliness, once said to be the
illness of the XXI century, has risen exponentially, partly due to the regulations imposed by
governments in response to pandemic (Esteban-Gonzalo et al., 2020; Miller, 2020; Smith and
Lim, 2020). According to the United Nations, community actions to reinforce social cohesion
and reduce loneliness are needed to reduce the mental health consequences of the pandemic
(United Nations, 2020).
Coliving is an emerging residential typology, a “top down, modern form of housing where
(Golubchikov and Badyina, 2012; UN-Habitat, 2013) residents share spaces, activities, values,
and/or intentions” (Agee et al., 2021; Osborne, 2018). These shared living solutions have
shown ways of fostering human relationships and close networks that improve daily lifestyle,
without imposing sharing behaviour or patterns, simply by enabling users to choose what
spaces to occupy and the levels of camaraderie they want to engage with. Monitoring and
evaluating the use of these spaces has become essential to improving the future of spaces and
promoting sustainable housing, tracking the factors of environmental, social, and financial
sustainability . Post-COVID-19 housing resiliency is related to flexibility, adaptability,
reducing risk infection and ensuring user well-being (Jens and Gregg, 2021; Takewaki, 2020),
and has turned even more human-cantered.
HCD defines a design based on human needs and experience (Agee et al., 2021). HCD puts the
end-users, humans, at the centre of the design (Giacomin, 2014); psychology and technology
are implicit in its initial planning (Agee et al., 2021; Holtzblatt et al., 2004; Norman, 2013)—
35
the human factor of buildings. Research that connected architectural design and behavioural
patterns (Jens and Gregg, 2021) has grown exponentially thanks to smart technologies and
sensors (İlçi et al., 2018).
The level of digitalization of buildings is also growing exponentially (Bashir and Gill, 2016);
as buildings become smarter and more connected, the Architects, Engineers and Constructors
(AECD) industry must adapt (Agee et al., 2021). Smart buildings are living entities capable of
adapting to the changing needs of the users and reporting to practitioners to improve the future
design of spaces.
This research aimed to generate a methodology of spatial analysis using Post-Occupancy
Evaluation (POE) of the spaces’ performance and user behaviour patterns based on the
available technology infrastructure.
There were two primary objectives: the first was to identify the data provided from existing
data sources that will offer valuable information for HCD spaces, and the second was to
generate data-driven Space Profiles (SP) based on the methodology generated that can help
AECD experts improve the design of future coliving spaces based on data-driven techniques.
The innovation of the current research also relied on the methodology fully
performed remotely due to COVID-19, in real time and relying on the existing IT infrastructure
of Coliving without adding other sensors.
In addition to the environmental science theories above, Coliving spaces will be evaluated
based on cohousing design principles illustrated in the book “Creating Cohousing: Building
Sustainable Communities”, as well as criteria developed to evaluate these communities,
specifically as referenced from Maruja Torres-Antonini’s dissertation Our Common House:
Using the Built Environment to Develop Supportive Communities, and Designing
Neighbourhoods for Social Interaction: The Case of Cohousing by Jo Williams. Principles that
can be used to evaluate Coliving facilities include size, density, proximity, surveillance, ratio
of private to communal spaces and affordances within each, and non-spatial factors such as
formal and informal social factors. While Coliving and cohousing are differentiated in many
ways, both declare a shared goal of providing housing in a community-minded setting, and
these guidelines are a useful tool for evaluation.
The residential sector is transforming quickly, accelerated by the COVID-19 crisis. Factors
such as densification of cities, population growth, affordability, housing supply, demand
dichotomy, rising prices (Rañeses et al., 2021) and lack of regulations (Glaeser et al., 2005)
have impacted house prices and facilitated the evolution of new housing typologies. Coliving
offers a more flexible leasing structure and increased engagement with the household to form
36
more meaningful connections with housemates and the general community—regardless of the
duration of stay (United Nations Human Settlements Programme, 2005).
Coliving operators, property managers and real estate investors have highlighted that their
formula of success relies on providing the creation of fluid communities and neo-tribes
(Steding, 2019), which are related to a state of mind and a lifestyle more than a membership or
lineage (Maffesoli, 1996; von Zumbusch and Lalicic, 2020). Coliving also provides a variety
of shared spaces mutualized by the whole community otherwise unavailable and unaffordable
in a traditional way of living. Characteristics that made them have grown exponentially across
Europe and other areas Figure 11. For the new creative class, home means also an ideal place
of work: it is mobile and social (Hardy et al., 2013) with the communal spaces being key for
the users (Steding, 2019); additionally, the need for exterior and communal spaces, core spaces
of coliving buildings, has also multiplied due to the COVID19 crisis (Bergan et al., 2020; Jens
and Gregg, 2021).
Figure 11 Evolution trend for the term ‘coliving’ Worldwide in the past 7 years 2014–2021 (Google, 2021) Google
Trends website, (Accessed 24/07/2021)
The rise in searches for the term ‘coliving’ in 2015 was likely due to an increase of these
facilities in New York City and companies beginning to expand this typology outside of the
tech world(Widdicombe, 2016). Spain is now the country with the fourth highest interest
globally, according to Google, and the first in Europe. The current research was performed at
37
Urban Campus, a coliving operator in Spain and France with several assets being operated
under coliving and coworking and with a strong strategy for monitoring and optimizing
buildings performance and user wellbeing.
One of the spatial strategies to encourage community is incrementing the shared amenities
(Cox, 2016; Kadet, 2017) and sharing these spaces with the whole community. The incidence
of these spaces outside of the private room has promoted informal interactions, which in turn
enhanced familiarity among residents and community (McAlone, 2016).
Nevertheless, little architectural or interior design research is available to describe this
emerging typology and scattered best-practices or guiding principles are appearing to aid
designers in making informed decisions when designing or evaluating coliving spaces
(Osborne, 2018). There has also been limited exploration into the houses to understand HCD
approaches and climate adaptability of smart housing to meet user needs (Agee et al., 2021;
Rañeses et al., 2021).
3.3 Framework of research
3.3.1 Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) and Breeam

According to Ali and RIBA architecture: "Post Occupancy Evaluation is the process of
obtaining feedback on a buildings performance in use after it has been built and occupied. By
accurately measuring factors such as building use, energy consumption, maintenance cost and
user satisfaction." POE allows for a process of continuous improvement in the construction
industry. Some POE are light touch whereas others are more in-depth, and a wide range of
techniques are employed depending upon the focus of building. Good quality POE s provides
a means for assessing whether a project brief had been met, obtain feedback from building
occupants, and scope how efficiently a new or refurbished building operates.
POE are powerful tools for demonstrating whether building programmes are delivering best
value for money and for identifying areas for improvement.(Mustafa, 2017)
Architects and other build environment professionals, industry bodies and increasingly clients
are pushing forward regular building evaluations via POE s as they can see the benefits better
evidence-based decision making offers to their organizational goals. (BUILDING
KNOWLEDGE, 2017)
Using data for building design is not new (Binnekamp, 2010; Oechslin, 1993; Schmitt, 1999).
But incorporating qualitative and quantitative data in decision-making processes is a practice
that has been recently incorporated into spatial design (Deutsch et al., 2015; Loyola, 2018).
38
Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) is the methodology of obtaining feedback on the use of

spaces in a building and its performance for the users (Hay et al., 2018; Zimring and
Reizenstein, 1980).
Within this changing paradigm, a need for more advanced, digital methods to understand the
use of space and improve its design has risen (Candido et al., 2016; Pereira et al., 2020); POE
and other methods (Leaman et al., 2010; Whyte and Gann, 2001) are becoming essential to
analysing the current use of spaces, predict performance and ensure housing resiliency (Alonso
et al., 2021; Cuerdo-Vilches et al., 2021, 2020; Monzón-Chavarrías et al., 2021; Takewaki,
2020; Tleuken et al., 2021). Recent studies have shown how POE could improve electricity
performance predicted during the design of non-residential spaces (Menezes et al., 2012); a
similar method has been applied for coliving residential spaces.
The POE is generally carried out a minimum of one year after the building is fully occupied
(Dodd et al., 2017) and includes several methodologies to perform holistic research of the
building. The research studied a method of integrating technology and Internet of Things (IOT)
data analysis as an added real-time assessment of end-users’ electricity consumption patterns
(Martín-Lopo et al., 2020). Remote comfort and well-being tracking systems and sensors
enabled to collect and analyse data with little human intervention(Maffesoli, 1996; Mohammed
et al., 2020).
Innovation and new technologies facilitate a faster and more accurate understanding of the
occupancy of and interaction with space (Sailer and McCulloh, 2012; Sankari prev. Kojo and
Nenonen, 2016). IOT integrated entities of the physical world by making them addressable
through the Internet and making the Internet accessible through physical objects. (Konomi and
Roussos, 2017). New ways of monitoring and data analysis have already provided real-time
feedback as shown in different spaces like workplaces (Daria et al., 2018; Spath et al.,
2010)(Pereira et al., 2020). This case study reflects how residential spaces like coliving can
undergo a similar transformation by incorporating in-built technology infrastructure POE data
analysis to assess use of space.
3.3.2 Design evaluation

Figure 12 shows how POE results can also be used as a powerful feedback tool for decision-
makers regarding case studies of maintenance processes. The case study also shows how these
results can provide data for design guidelines and quality indicators for the main agents
39
engaged in the production process, from the development of the enterprise to the design,
construction, maintenance, use, and facility management phases.(Walbe Ornstein, 2005)
Figure 12 Building performance evaluation: integrative framework for building delivery and life cycle (Boarin et al.,
2018)(based on (Council, 2002))
• The effectiveness of the space planning.

• Aesthetic quality.
• The standards of lighting, acoustic environment, ventilation, temperature and humidity.
• Air-pollution and air quality.
• User comfort.
• Maintenance and occupancy costs.
• Defects.
• The balance between capital and running costs.
• An assessment of whether the development is being operated as designed.
• Environmental and energy consumption in use.
Post- Occupancy Evaluation techniques also nourish from broad experience in

multidisciplinary environments Figure 13, learning and assessing different parameters and
disciplines holistically.
40
Figure 13 POE and multi-disciplinarity in the development of school facility.(Walbe Ornstein, 2005)
Far for country regulations, there is not a global consensus on spatial metrics used to define the
correct space occupation in a global perspective. Workplace best practices incorporate a basic
set of occupation metrics such and a combination of the definition of the local regulations,
comfort and wellbeing metrics referred to the building and health and sustainability certificates
like WELL, LEED or other metrics related to best practices or human comfort.
3.3.3 Sustainability Assessment
Figure 14 Framework for implementing sustainability in building construction. (Akadiri et al., 2012)
Sustainable spaces are those that meet the needs of current generations without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their needs and aspirations” (Agee et al., 2021).
41
According to UN-Habitat New Urban Agenda, there are 3 factors when assessing sustainable
spaces: environmental, financial, and social responsibility(Caprotti et al., 2017) Figure 14
correlates the 3 sustainability pillars (environmental, financial and social) with the objectives
of sustainable building strategies, based of material design cost efficiency and Human
adaptation .
Environmental sustainability is understood as the optimization of the use stage of the buildings
to adapt to changing climate, through understanding and optimization of electricity
consumption of the spaces and human interaction (Fettermann et al., 2021). (Bonoli et al.,
2021).
The research analyses social sustainability in relation to social cohesion among other factors
(Murphy, 2012). Social communities are rapidly evolving, for example, single occupancy
households accounted for only 4% of housing built in the past 10 years in the UK, as opposed
to 17% during the early 21st century. Instead, households containing multiple families, which
represent the smallest share of all households (1%), constituted the fastest growing type of
household over the last two decades, having increased by two-thirds by 2020 (GOV UK, 2021).
The definition of this growing trend will influence the evolution of future house design.
Studying users’ interaction in the different spaces of the building as a trigger to promoting
social interactions and community is an approach to understanding the use of spaces towards
sustainability.
Financial sustainability is analysed by optimizing use of spaces and to reduce cost and improve
quality of spaces. Reducing electricity costs and understanding occupancy of spaces to align
comfort and well-being will impact operational costs and enable better use of spaces. Financial
and environmental well-being are related to satisfaction and community engagement (Shanafelt
et al., 2017). Financial considerations are directly related to social and environmental features,
housing being the closest example between the economic and social stability of human beings
(Cuerdo-Vilches et al., 2021).
3.4 Data analysis of spaces
3.4.1 Data-driven design

Recent research aims to implement remote comfort and well-being through systems and
sensors to collect and analyze with little human intervention (Mohammed et al., 2020; von
Zumbusch and Lalicic, 2020). Shared spaces provide quick and easy rental to spaces with
private and shared areas that sell to nourish a community and networking atmosphere, which
42
also means more mobility within the building spaces and new ways of living in these indoor
spaces. In a paradigm of rapid change of needs, rental solutions also need to respond accurately
to the needs of the users, while remaining profitable and meeting environmental standards to
become attractive for the users, to be able to learn from the use of this new spaces there is also
a need for new ways of measuring this occupancy and use.
Internet of Places (IOP) is an spin-off of the internet of things that defends that places can be
instrumentally empowered through sensors, data sharing, and computation, thereby
exemplifying and contributing to the Internet of Things.
IOP seeks to support awareness, engagement, and interaction pertaining to individual and
collective human experiences, meaning making, activity, intentions, and values by
computationally leveraging and integrating a wide range of human data with places to which
those data refer.(Konomi and Roussos, 2017)
Previous work by the (Agee et al., 2021) research team mapped correlation of human-
technology interaction and their impact on apartment-level energy use (Zhao et al., 2017). The
work found 42% of energy use was attributed to energy efficient technologies. The remaining
58% of energy use was attributed to human-building interaction. Simply put, a technology-
only approach has limits to efficacy. Therefore, focusing on a human-centred approach is
critical to realizing innovative investments in housing of the future. To consider user-needs of
smart housing, the research team isolated data from the EEC database. The data included (1)
energy use data, (2) behavioural surveys, and (3) semi-structured interviews.
3.4.2 Smart buildings

In 1984 the world’s first intelligent building was opened in Hartford, Connecticut (Pereira et
al., 2020; “The ´intelligent´ buildings. Retrieved from,” 1984)
A smart city is “a community that systematically promotes the overall wellbeing for all of its
members and is flexible enough to proactively and sustainably become an increasingly better
place to live, work and play” (Lara et al., 2016). The inclusion of digital devices, technology,
and data analysis from IoT devices promotes the transformation of cities, buildings, and spaces
towards more sustainable, efficient, and optimized spaces, but it must start with the people,
their needs, and ways of living, current and future (Allam and Dhunny, 2019; Bashir and Gill,
2016; Silva et al., 2018). There is a need to include users in participatory design processes,
learn from their use of spaces and occupancy. The current study relies on POE indoor location
43
techniques to understand smart workspaces with the objective of designing more human-
centred smart buildings and cities(Silva et al., 2018; Weijs-Perrée et al., 2019)
Since the genesis of this type of building, its definition and field of application have been
changing, driven mainly by the development of new technologies and by the changing needs
of the built environment (Clements-Croome, 2013; Wong, Li, & Wang, 2005)
Until 1985: IBs are buildings controlled automatically for a function; . From 1986 to 1991: IBs
are buildings capable of responding to changing needs; . From 1992 to the present: IBs are
buildings with characteristics that allow them to adapt to the dynamic needs of the environment
and the occupants.
These differences are mainly explained by the evolution of the Information and
communications technology (ICT) incorporated in buildings, IOP. Multiple devices that create
a global infrastructure of data collectors, the communication of this grid, network through the
internet and third the availability of data to enable the storage and manipulation of broad
amounts of data in order to be able to use it. (Pereira et al., 2020)
Data analysis is now accessible in most of the developed world. Most buildings being recently
constructed in Europe, North America and some regions of Asia have a certain level of digital
maturity that enables including the use of this data for having a deeper understanding of the
buildings spaces, through what is called Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) techniques.
3.4.3 Indoor location techniques, digital trail and digital platforms
Figure 15 Comparison of location techniques (author design)
Modelling space preferences and using indoor location techniques to read the users digital trail,
enables to better understand users behavior and raise insights for decision making processes
(Cha et al., 2018). Wi-Fi networks, as shown in Figure 15 and Figure 16 has multiple
44
advantages compared to GPS signal or sensors, the main one compared to GPS is that can be
used in interior space with more precision.
Nevertheless, existing procedures and processes based on triangulation still have limited
accuracy in occupancy prediction. A major reason for this limitation is that spatial-choice
behavior is ignored or oversimplified. Space-preference models have to be accurately designed
based on the needs of the space to be studied and the specific precision requirements.
Figure 16 Overview of geolocation technologies (Sigfox build, 2000)
Former traditional analogue space-planning and occupancy studies are obsolete due to new
dynamics of flexibility and collaboration between users (Alavi et al., 2016; Lejoux et al., 2019;
Parrino, 2015). Mobility has increased in day-to-day work thanks to technology and networks
(Lejoux et al., 2019) and accelerated by COVID19. Collaborative workers today interact in a
wide variety of working environments (Counsell and Puybaraud, 2007; Fernandes Bella et al.,
2018). Location tracking systems such as sensors, Wi-Fi, or facial recognition are currently
used to understand space dynamics (Capdevila, 2013; Parrino, 2015; Verma, 2017), user
behaviour (Foth, 2009; Stevenson and Leaman, 2010), and energy consumption (Bordass et al.,
2001; Nguyen and Aiello, 2013). Other buildings such as malls or outdoor spaces often use
location and occupancy analytics for security or understanding behavioural patterns (Bordass
et al., 2001; Foth, 2009; Spinuzzi, 2012).
Wireless local area network (Wi-Fi) can be used as an effective indoor positioning system as
shown in Chapter VI. It is competitive in terms of both accuracy and cost compared to similar
systems and due to the following factors:
45
• Seamlessness: nonintrusive for employees using the existing technology at the office.
• Affordability: included in the communications infrastructure, no added budget.
• Accuracy for indoor navigation: more accurate than Global Positioning System (GPS)
or Bluetooth (Campos et al., 2014; Wang and Shao, 2018).
• Durability: regular maintenance is included in the regular workspace Wi-Fi network
maintenance.
The Wi-Fi access points are proposed as a proxy to represent the virtual dimension and to
integrate both virtual and physical dimensions (Kim and de Dear, 2013). The user location
information represents a core dimension as understanding user context is a prerequisite for
providing human-centred services that generally improve quality of life (Al-Ammar et al., 2014;
Holtzblatt et al., 2004).
3.4.3.1 Location tracking based KPIs
Metrics and data analysis do not provide decision making solutions by themselves. Data is like
sand or wood, a raw material, an immaterial resource, that, after being craft becomes a valuable
product. Working with data is relies in extraction, cleaning, filtering, polishing and aggregating
procedures to translate the data to understandable information and metrics for untechnical users.
All these processes rely frequently on algorithm creation and precise designs of metrics,
indicators and KPIs.
If we focus location tracking for office design, the accuracy needed is very high, as we aim to
understand were exactly users are siting and the distance between workstations or working
areas specially in open space offices is very accurate.
A way of improving Wi-Fi or other location data sources precision is to use an algorithm and
location tracking techniques to understand real-time space occupation is also an improvement
of traditional ways of understanding occupancy prediction Figure 17. Up to now, workplace
occupancy prediction was a combination of utilization based and scheduled based predictions
(Cha et al., 2018). The innovation here relies on the utilization-based side, which instead of
evolving for empirical prediction, can now rely on real-time data captured by location tracking
techniques. From this real-time occupation data collected, further automated computation
based on prediction and machine learning techniques will be applied to optimise the algorithm.
46
Figure 17 Main areas of occupancy prediction research in the context of users, user activity, and space. (Cha et al.,
2018)
The result, “Smart office” a new understanding of workplace planning using a predictive tool
that will understand occupation patterns giving dynamic mobility ratios that will open diverse
new possibilities.
Space can be optimized more accurately as it relies on real-time data and learns through
machine learning, being able to adapt to changes and alert in advance for spatial requirements.
It will also provide information of occupation and usage patterns and enable to accurately draw
mobility paths, and periods of staying the different areas, as well as the number of occupants,
all this together will the information collected from other data sources.
This new perspective is what is called “Experience-based office”, traditional Activity-based
office was conceived as a combination of spaces that will respond to employees’ necessities
and usage regarding different activities and responding to mobility and flexibility principles.
Experience-based office is an evolution from the previous concept that considers a dynamic
office in constant evolution, it responds to user needs and preferences being able to change an
47
adapt to their needs and because it is designed over it surveyed space that studies users’
preferences and it is constantly learning it functions as a living-entity that predicts necessities
and alerts from unexpected performance. Architects will be able to improve office design based
directly on users experience and choice opening new possibilities of codesign and feedback
without having to interfere with the users.
Figure 18. New sets of KPIs will evolve from the new Experience Based Office paradigm. In
Chapter VI, an Experience-Based Office will be analysed, based in location tracking techniques
KPI, “Vivid Office KPI”.
Figure 18 Di-Dy analysis framework (design and property of BICG)
"With tools that range from modeling and simulation to virtual reality and digital sensing,
tracking user behaviours has become an important parameter for building management
system (BMS) studies aiming to bridge the gap between how people are predicted to use
space and how people actually use space". (Sussman and Hollander, 2021)
48
3.4.4 User Dynamics framework definition
Figure 19 Co-occurrence network of Author Keywords from case studies in the bibliographic database (Carlucci et
al., 2020)
Figure 20 Buildings operated intelligently, focused on occupant behaviour.(Pereira et al., 2020)
But metrics and data are not only used to measure location. User behaviour and human centred
studies are becoming the centre of understanding and research in the way people live and
49
therefore communicate and interact. Data can bring value in that field as well as shown Figure
19 and Figure 20.
Considerable advancements have been made towards the standardization of descriptions and
the classification of users behaviour in spaces and buildings performance (Hong et al., 2016).
According to IEA EBC Annex 66 (Yan et al., 2017): Definition and Simulation of Occupant
Behaviour in Buildings and standardization: Occupant behaviour includes occupant presence,
movement, and interaction with building energy devices and systems (Yan et al., 2017). The
modelling of the user or occupant behaviour aims to predict the likelihood and ways of the
users interaction with the building (Hong et al., 2015).
Although the understanding of occupant behaviour for building design, operations is improving
thanks to smarter buildings and more advanced devices and sensors it is still enough and
sometimes leading to incorrect simplifications in modelling and analysis(Hong et al., 2016).
To ensure these models and frameworks are reliable it is necessary to guarantee their accuracy.
A good basis for this is that the model is intrinsically tailored to the main characteristics of
occupants and the specificities and variables are assigned to each case of study, not directly
extrapolated to other models and cases(D’Oca et al., 2014; Wilke et al., 2013; Yan et al., 2017).
Many user centred frameworks to address occupants’ behaviours have been developed. To
address interpretation of results a standardization of quantitative and qualitative data.
The tool automates the improvement of spatial design of human centred spaces based on 3
pillars of study
i) User Experience
ii) Occupancy and Optimization and
iii) Health and Wellbeing.
Figure 21, illustrates the process of analysis of a building that has incorporated the tool to
extract the digital trail (indoor data) from the available data sources, understands users’
behaviour and incorporated the analysis through metrics to assess the smart building analysis.
50
Figure 21 Buildings that automate the methodology
The incorporation of the tool to improve spatial design is an iterative process, as shown in
Figure 22 user behaviour changes through time due to different reasons:
a) External factors: such as modification of spaces, purpose of space, cultural, social, economic,
or environmental factors or even pandemics such as COVID-19 have a high impact in
occupants’ behaviour.
b) Internal factors: Users needs variate, trends and behavioural in the occupants of the spaces
themselves and other internal reasons.
It is therefore important to understand the incorporation of digital trail analysis as a long-term
project and iterative analysis to assess buildings and improve future design of spaces.
Several frameworks of study based on data collection, experience-based learnings and iterating
with the results have progressed the research field of human centered approach analytics. This
research highlights the relevance of 3 frameworks or conceptual and software-based structures.
Figure 22: Di-Dy, a digital dynamics dashboard that was developed to connect to different data
sources and assess through in-house algorithms the assessment of Company Experience ® in
office spaces. Figure 23, and interactive design approach based on International Standards
Organization to develop human centered iterative design approaches. And finally, Figure 24, a
base to understand building and digital maturity processes and assessments in buildings. The 3
basement conceptual frameworks will build the foundations of the current research and the
Digital POE Tool and Methodology objective of study.
51
Figure 22 Di-Dy ETL process (property and design of BICG)
Figure 23 Iterative design approach. Adapted from ISO 9241-210 (Agee et al., 2021)
Figure 24 Digital Maturity assessment
52
3.4.5 Indicators
As mentioned in previous sections Indicators assess the state or level of things against an
standard. The following section narrates the example of a metric for a workplace scenario, from
concept and creation to definition and utility. It is an example of a metric based on occupancy,
but Human Centred Design approach to spaces has metrics to assess anything from experience,
behaviour, movement, consumption and any other metrics that will add value to the
comprehension of the use of spaces and beings interaction.
Example of metrics generation for workplace (López Zaldívar et al., 2019)
Today’s universally accepted workplace metrics – such as square foot per person and cost
per square foot – fall short of capturing the full potential of a workplace focused user
experiences, performance, engagement, recruitment and retention, and wellbeing (Johnson,
2018).
As shown in Figure 25, benchmarked organisations measure building performance metrics
directly or indirectly related to cost to assess cost reduction. If the variable cost is eliminated
from the equation to understand relevant metrics that do not rely directly on cost the only
remaining metric widely agreed will be the number of square meters per person.
Figure 25 Use of building performance metrics (Massheder and Finch, 1998)
53
The metric square meters per person or square foot per person, traditionally basic and
essential will be the departure point of this research. Although at first glance might seem simple
the new paradigm of the workplace will broaden the possibilities of the metric and transform
the whole paradigm of an intelligent workplace or hybrid workplace(Saurin, 2012).
The following diagram Figure 26 expresses the conception and generation of the Vivid office
KPI and why it is important to understand the modifications in space planning assessment due
to technology innovation and new ways of working in the workplace that also result from IT
innovation.
Figure 26 Vivid office theoretical background
Traditionally the number of square meters a person assigned per person in the office space
would be a static measurement that will depend on the space assigned to that person that will
commonly depend on their status, hierarchy, or role. Saurin defends with his case study that
hierarchy, designated territory, traditional, paradoxical, badly managed, cluttered and passive
all are wording that respondents used to describe the current workplace.
Assigned spaces make possible the translation of the metric m²/person to square meters per
workstation, just by inferring a ratio called the headcount to workstation ratio, for example, a
ratio, therefore, a ratio 1:1 means 1 headcount to 1 workstation.
The evolution in workplace was the incorporation of the concept of mobility, this is related to
shared or unassigned working spaces. To understand this phase means to accept that in a
paradigm of knowledge workers, white collars, new IT infrastructure, especially personal
devices can be mobile devices, laptops, or professionals could log into shared desktops.
54
Releasing the physical bound to a desktop, the necessity of a physical assigned space goes
against organisations goals of saving cost, improving performance, or enhancing human
experience.
Mobility in a new way of working workplace will interfere with the headcount to workstation
ratio. Reducing the number of workstations per professional or the opposite increasing the
number of employees for a given space and a given number of professionals is very attractive
for the organisation and advantageous for employees as it gives them the freedom to choose
where to seat and who to work with.
Until the current time, workplace planners will play with this Figure 27 to understand space
allocation. Traditional static organisations with assigned workstations would choose a
conservative ratio (1hc:1,1ws) with low mobility perspective where workstations might still be
personally assigned, whereas a more flexible and innovative company that will consider
flexibility initiatives, remote working or externals within the office space should consider a
more radical ratio that could go up to (1hc:0,6ws) that requires unassigned workstations Figure
27.
Figure 27 Mobility ratios example (property and design of BICG)
Until now this was the understanding of how we work and space planning techniques. But as
IT evolves, big data strategies also find their way into workplace optimisation. New ways of
collecting occupation data enable us to understand more accurately how space is being
occupied almost in real time. Space location tools such as sensors, GPS, Wi-Fi or even face
recognition software can tell you exactly in each moment how many people are at the office,
what spaces are more or less occupied and what are their mobility patterns, turning the office
55
into a hybrid workplace that “brings together physical place and cyberplace” to create a space
of networked places; made up of places and flows (Castells, 2002).
This mobility ratio, that incorporates new digital location tracking techniques and Big Data
processing could be accurately calculated and would not need to be inferred by workplace
strategist because of an analogical quantitative and qualitative diagnosis of the work dynamics
of each area responding to user collectives with different user profiles.
Workplace metrics innovation depends on a digital perspective of workplace, thanks to the
introduction of three things new hardware, personal mobile devices for employees, expansion
of Wi-Fi networks in organisations and new collaboration tools that enable employees to work
remotely and facilitate mobility and flexibility initiatives.
These improvements are what transforms static workplace planning into dynamic workplace
planning based in real-time data collected regularly and that makes it possible to have an
updated analysis of workplace occupation and usage to take decisions regarding space planning.
The equations that until today were used to facilitate space optimisation will no longer have to
rely on ratios but in algorithms that were obtained through analogical static analysis and
planners’ expertise and assigned user profiles but will result from an algorithm. An algorithm
is how we call a process or set of rules developed to be obeyed by calculations or other problem-
solving operations, especially by a computer given a set of premises. Algorithms can be
improved and learn thanks to machine learning techniques and therefore optimize performance
and reduce cost.
Hybrid or digital workplace is experience- based which means that will evolve and be designed
and improved by occupation, mobility and usage habits and patterns designed by their own
inhabitants the professionals that now, in a non-assigned paradigm are free to choose how,
when, and where to work from, opening an interesting environment for inspiration as well for
space planners and architects when upgrading or conceiving new workspaces.
3.4.6 Directives and regulations

The 2018/844/EU (2018) directive, recently approved to update the 2010/31/EU and
2012/27/EU directives, reinforced the commitment of the European Union in Intelligent
Buildings (IB) to optimize thermal comfort, energy efficiency, visual comfort and indoor air
quality. This update introduced two new concepts into this delicate balance: the concern to
consider the occupants’ needs in the built environment and the promotion of the use of
information and communication technologies (ICT). Thus, it is considered that IBs should be
56
the way to achieve the buildings of the future (Pereira Data Driven occupant actions(Pereira
et al., 2020)).
The data is encrypted on collection, anonymized, and aggregated for the analysis complying
with GDPR regulations and similar laws for data protection. We based our study in the current
European regulations previous research GDPR compliant Wi-Fi indoor location techniques to
ensure data compliance.
The encryption is performed on collection of the raw data (fingerprints) through a
unidirectional hash + SALT function that encrypts the MAC address of the devices. This
function makes the original MAC addresses unretrievable. Once the fingerprints are used by
the decision algorithm to determinate the DAR,( the minimum measurable area space
distinguished by the measurement tool) the encrypted fingerprints are deleted, so no personal
or individual data is stored or analysed. Afterwards the data is aggregated for the analysis, thus
complying the GDPR regulation.
3.5 Conclusions chapter III
The following have been obtained from the State of the art. The state of the art identifies the
need to design a methodology to improve future design of spaces based on real data from the
current use of spaces.
• Current liquid society, in continues change needs to benefit from technology and data
analysis to raise information that enables decision making.
• Flexible spaces such as informal office (Monje Pascual, 2021) and coliving spaces
(Regodon et al., 2021) require data analytics for accurate POE assessment, resiliency
and sustainable management.
• Breeam, sustainable design for buildings in use requires POE evaluation based on the
following Standards. The state-of-the-art links BREEAM standards with 10 parameters
as shown in Figure 28 that can be address with the current data produced by IT
infrastructure of the buildings (Parameters of Digital POE Tool). With the only
exception of the capital and running cost balance which is not addressable within the
building spatial analysis.
57
Figure 28 POE Breeam evaluation relationship with Parameters. Man Aftercare - Breeam
• The research identified 8 data sources of data that can be currently found in buildings
with a certain degree of digitalization.
o Wi-Fi Network
o Smart lock
o Video surveillance system
o Sound Level Meter (SLM)
o Smart water meter (SWM)
o Smart electricity meter (SEM)
o Lux Meter (LM)
o Air Quality System
58
59
CHAPTER IV DIGITAL POE TOOL
The following chapter details the tool, the methodology of conception, its purpose, and its
application for different spaces to analyse the use, occupancy and performance of different
spaces based on the digital trail of in-built IT infrastructure. The methodology and the Tool,
Digital POE Tool are the main output of the doctoral thesis, together with the two pilot
studies.
60
61
4.1 STAGE 1: Digital POE Methodology
4.1.1 Rationale of the Digital POE Methodology

The methodology designed to analyse and improve spatial design and performance is based on
BICG case study definition and the former development of Di-Dy a Digital Dynamics platform
for assessing Company Experience®, HCD processes and maturity assessment frameworks.
The added value of the research is the definition of a methodology to use digital infrastructure
to help AECD practitioners optimize current spaces and improve future spatial design.
The final Digital POE Tool is a standardised, open, and dynamic tool that enables different
spaces analysis and incorporation of different data sources and indicators. Using the tool and
implementing the following methodology to both case studies enabled to identify gaps in
spatial assessment and to gain insights to improve the future design of spaces.
Figure 29 Basic Roadmap for the methodology for assessment (author design)
The early stages of the research consisted of designing a preliminary roadmap Figure 29 for
the methodology to be implemented. The initial Roadmap developed at BICG for the Di-Dy
original platform was iterated by the researcher, including different activities and additional
stages and procedures it was finally piloted in two case studies. The final methodology. Figure
30 was harmonised and also formatted into an online Questionnaire Assessment Annex C and
D and are the main objective of the current PhD Thesis.
This thesis has as a main objective the development of this Digital POE Tool, Figure 31,
arose from the standardisation of the methodology and as a framework to classify spaces
according to their number of data sources and overall level of maturity.
Each of the pilot study is designed regarding the specific attributes of space, users,
technological devices, and specific objectives to be measured. The common approach is the
62
common methodology developed to understand occupancy and use of indoor spaces based on
the available data sources and the parameters assessed.
Figure 30 Methodology generated for the Digital POE Tool (author design)
63
Figure 31 Digital POE Tool (author design)
64
It possible to analyse the influence of each variable and how the methodology responds to the
different case studies by the analysis of the different data sources, the need of different data
collection methods and the validation of the methodology.
The different data sources analysed: wi-fi networks, smart locks and electricity consumption
devices are among the identified 8 data sources, the ones already available at the two buildings
analysed (flexible workplace and coliving). This data sources, were originally installed, prior
to the research to assist with the operations of the space. The current research identifies the
value added of the available data sources to assess spatial analysis without additional cost in
devices installation.
A possibility of improvement for future buildings would be to plan design of the technological
infrastructure to be installed (which of the 8 data sources identified) could be installed, where
and how. To provide not only the best services for the end-users but also to enable an optimized
data modelling for the space-analytics tool generated.
The following tables and the process definition generated during this research is not innovative
in the process design and it relies in other tools designed and identified during the State of the
art process and during Di-Dy analysis. The innovation and value-added is the application to
understand flexible spaces, the profiting from in-built technological devices without the need
to add additional networks or its infrastructure, the generation of a matrix and series of KPIs to
assess the data collected, and the conclusions obtained.
The analysis of the two case studies shows that the objectives are achieved, in both cases digital
trail is incorporated to the tool, processed, analysed, and provides insightful results to improve
future design of spaces structured in the three pillars assessment framework. Digital trail
provides value added information in comparison to traditional analogical data collection
methods. The generation of the Space Profiles are a useful tool for practitioners to improve
spaces and iterate in a Human Centred Design approach to spaces.
4.2 STAGE 2: Pilot design
The following are the processes of definition of the methodology.

Stages of the Digital Tool methodology:
a) Objective of the case study
b) Enclosed laboratory definition
c) Settle the measurement procedures
d) ETL* (Extraction, transformation, loading)
65
e) Console evaluation
f) KPI Visualization tool
4.2.1 a) Objective of the case study

The first step of the methodology is to define the objective of the case study Figure 32, what is
the aim of the digital trail analysis, what do we want to measure and why. For this the research
has 3 sub steps a1,a2 and a3.
Figure 32 Step a) Objective of case study. Methodology generated for the Digital POE Tool (author design)
a1) Hypothesis of each case study

Definition of the hypothesis of the study, define as well the objective of study and the other
parameters
Both case studies (flexible office and coliving) aim to understand the space and use the user
digital trail (data inputs) to provide feedback of the different spaces related to the 3 pillars of
the framework of study.
i) User Experience
ii) Occupancy and Optimization and
iii) Health and Wellbeing
The case studies analysis there is existence of relevant data from in-built IT infrastructure to
assess users’ behaviour and that enables spatial improvements of the different spaces within
the building. The parameters assessed are the same for both studies (10 parameters identified)
But the specific KPIs and assessment charts and analysis are specifically design to each
experiment and according to the details of study and data collection
The result of the assessment of the different parameters and the feedback provided from the
digital trail analysis will be collected and showed into the Space Profiles. These enable AECD
66
practitioners (architects, engineers, construction, and designers ) to interpret results and interact
with spaces, modifying the variables to improve them and improve occupants’ satisfaction as
well as building performance.
a2) Checklist
The first phase in each case study is to fill in the Tool Checklist Figure 33, a questionnaire to
understand the scope and boundaries of the case study. The assessment of the checklist will
determine if the assessment makes sense and set the scene for the implementation of the case
study
Figure 33 Digital POE checklist to structure the pilot case studies
The analysis of the 2 case studies shows the tool can be implemented in different typologies of
spaces, being one a flexible office and the second one a Coliving. There are substantial
differences between both case studies. The first case study "flexible office" was developed
during 2019, pre COVID-19 and focuses on the benefits of incorporating digital trail to spatial
analysis compared to other analogical methods of collecting data for spatial assessment. The
case study relies on indoor Wi-Fi location techniques as the digital data source in-built in most
office spaces to collect data, "flexible office case study" proofs digital trail is available in spaces
and can provide data to assess current use of spaces based on users’ behaviour and can. provide
added value compared to previous analogical data sources.
The second case study "Coliving" goes one phase beyond is developed during 2021 during the
Covid-19 crisis after the period of lockdown, when users could move freely in the home spaces
67
with certain urban regulations and capacity restrictions. Nevertheless, the Covid-19 instead of
precluding the experiment challenged the situation and enabled the development of a fully
online case study, showing another advantage of the digital trail to analyse users’ behaviour
remotely. The "Coliving" case study analyses all the in-built infrastructure available in the
Coliving spaces that leaves a digital trail of the users, the two objectives of the second case
study are to identify if the data available from the in-built devices can provide valuable inputs
to understand the use of spaces and to generate the data-driven Space Profiles (SPs) as an
interface to interact with spatial design.
a3) KPI Definition

Each of the pilot studies is designed regarding the specific attributes of space, users,
technological devices, and specific objectives to be measured. The common approach is to
design a methodology to understand occupancy and use of indoor spaces based on the available
data analysis devices and the KPI structure.
4.2.2 b) Enclosed laboratory definition (Figure 34)
Figure 34 Step b) Enclosed laboratory definition. Methodology generated for the Digital POE Tool (author design)
b1) Space definition

The main requirement for the spaces identified for the case studies are that:
1 First the users have a high degree of mobility, they can move freely around most of the
spaces and have the possibility to stay or use the different areas responding to their own
choices and will.
2 Second requirement is that the different buildings have wide areas for collaboration and
interaction between users to enable them to interact with the other occupants.
3 Third requirement was that the spaces had at least a minimum level of technological
infrastructure in the spaces to enable the study of digital trail, both spaces had internet and
other technological infrastructure.
68
The classification of spaces for each study was different for both case studies and spatial
definition is different for both case studies and depends on the objective of the study, the
material composition of spaces and its limits (partitions, joineries, materials employed for the
construction and other specificalities) and the data sources used to measure, both studies relied
on indoor location tracking techniques as one of the data sources, and in both cases with Wi-
Fi networks as the data source.
The enclosed laboratory definition and the categorisation of spaces, particularly in the "flexible
office" space, had to be accurately redefined according to the installed Wi-Fi network, the space
was as well an open plan office with minimum physical partitions between areas to avoid silos
and promote interaction and communication among users. On the contrary in the "Coliving
space" the division between functional spaces was separated by partitions, as well as the Wi-
Fi network, there is one network, "Service Set Identifier" (SSID) with 1 or 2 Access Point (AP)
per cluster space and per Community space - a total of 20 SSIDs in the building.
Existing models exhibit limited accuracy in occupancy prediction. A major reason for this
limitation is that spatial-choice behaviour is ignored or oversimplified (Cha et al., 2018). The
following paragraphs will provide a detail description of the "flexible office" and "Coliving"
spaces analysed and the categorization of the different spaces within them.
Case study 1: Workplace

The case study space environment is a flexible working space located in Madrid. The office
gross area corresponds to 3 levels of a block building in Madrid, the office has a total of 469m²,
with three floors: Ground Floor, First Floor and Second Floor. The office is designed as an
activity-based flexible offices (A-FOs) (Rolfö, 2018), different spaces with different functions
are displayed within the total surface of office space. The employees are free to choose what
space to work from according to their specific needs at each moment of the day. A characteristic
of the (A-FOs) is that they promote fluid spaces, with no physical barriers between
workstations or working areas, such as partitions unless it is a need for the activity that will
hold inside, in this space only meeting rooms and the concentration think tank room are
enclosed spaces due to acoustic conditioning of space. All the other spaces, workstation areas,
open collaboration points and informal areas are both physically and visually connected, this
is also due to the configuration of the office with a triple height inner patio that communicates
the 3 floors thanks to an opening in the slabs.
To categorise the different spaces and set up boundaries that create a conceptual division
between spaces the concept of DAR is created. The definition of DAR is the minimum space
69
distinguished by the measurement tool (created in BICG as part of Di-Dy tool Selection of
the sample of participants). In this case study the tool that used to analyse is the Wi-Fi
triangulation system. The Wi-Fi is chosen due to its accuracy for indoor location and because
is also an in-built IT system in space, as previously mentioned. The study then divided the
office in DARs according to the rule of the minimum distance distinguished and the
functionality of the different areas.
A DAR integrates workstation clusters or areas with the same function, furniture, and IT
infrastructure support. Thinking from an IT perspective, the workplace as a combination of this
DARs or areas that share characteristics and functions.Figure 35, represents the first floor of
the office space categorised by DARs, each DAR has the workstations or seats tagged in the
same colour and codified for the experiment.
Figure 35 Example of floor 1 workplace area divided in DARs by colors. (layout design property of BICG)
The office space has a capacity of 48 people as shown Table 2, Table 3. The capacity of the
space has been calculated in relation to the workspaces identified. A different capacity, (a ratio)
is assigned to each space in relation to the typology of the spaces that go from 0 to 1 depending
on the station´s typology. For example, a Workstation will have capacity of 1 person, whereas
a meeting room of 5 people will have an equivalent ratio of 0,2 therefore:
Capacity = #of seats x capacity ratio
70
Examples
Standard workstation=6 seats x 1ratio = 6 capacity
Meeting room=5 seats x 0,2ratio= 1 capacity
To calculate the total capacity of the office, the different workspaces have been classified in a
table and assigned to a typology with a corresponding capacity ratio. The total capacity
corresponds to the adding of the different capacities of the singular workspaces.
Table 2 Office Space Classification table. All areas of the ABO are classified according to the activity that it has been
designed for, the subcategory within the main function and a detailed description. Data property of BICG. (author
design)
CATEGORY SUBCATEGORY DESCRIPTION
STANDARD
Spaces designed to work individually for extended periods
WORKSTATION ANCHOR POINT
of time.
THINK TANK
Spaces designed specifically for team work, meetings or
MEETING MEETING ROOM
presentations.
WORKSHOP
Informal areas or collaboration spots where employees can
BENCH
INFORMAL maintain an informal meeting, casual encounter or develop
OPEN COLLABORATION
temporary tasks.
LOUNGE
Value Added Services, Other services that cover functions
VALUE ADDED to the employees external for what they strictly need to
GRAVITY
SERVICE (VAS) cover their work functions and add value to the Company
Experience®.
71
Table 3 The table categorizes all the spots available at the flexible office space. Each is identified by a code that
indicates the floor and typology of space. 0-K, each area has a category and a typology of space within the category
and assigned an area.
FLOOR +TYPO CAPACITY SEATS CATEGORY TYPOLOGY AREA
0 K 2 16 VAS GRAVITY 41
0 W 4 20 INFORMAL WORKSHOP 72
0 F 6 8 INFORMAL BENCH 46
0 R 2 2 WORKSTATION ANCHOR POINT 16
0 A 0 4 INFORMAL OPEN COLLAB 24
0 C 4 INFORMAL OPEN COLLAB
1 21
0 C 3 INFORMAL OPEN COLLAB
1 J 4 WORKSTATION STANDARD
4 34
1 J 4 INFORMAL OPEN COLLAB
1 S 1 7 MEETING ROOM MEETING ROOM 22
1 V 2 2 WORKSTATION ANCHOR POINT 11
1 G 2 4 WORKSTATION THINK TANK 12
1 O 1 5 MEETING ROOM MEETING ROOM 12
1 R 1 4 MEETING ROOM MEETING ROOM 12
1 FP 5 WORKSTATION ANCHOR POINT
1 P 15 8 INFORMAL BENCH 74
1 P 3 WORKSTATION ANCHOR POINT
2 D 4 4 WORKSTATION ANCHOR POINT 24
2 I 2 10 MEETING ROOM MEETING ROOM 30
2 G 1 4 INFORMAL LOUNGE 18
TOTAL 48 469
Case study 2: Coliving

The case study space environment is an entire building block of apartments of 3000m² Coliving
residence in Madrid. The Coliving has a total of 6 floors plus a mezzanine and a basement. The
ground floor is a retail area that is not included in the case study. The building is operated as a
Coliving since 2019. The spaces of the Coliving are categorised according to its function and
the floor they belong to. The following Figure 36 identifies the layout of the different spaces
in a floorplan.
72
73
Figure 36 Layouts of the different spaces studied: a) Cluster apartments with studio subdivision 1C,2I,2D b)
Community Coworking space 6C; c) Gym (0I). Layout design of Ángela Juarranz.
Table 4 and Table 5 define the categories of spaces within the building and the detailed
definition and description of each space.
Table 4 Coliving space classification table. Office Space Classification table. All areas are classified according to the
activity that it has been designed for cluster areas are residential spaces with private studios inside and community
areas are shared by the whole community and have different functions. Data property of Urban Campus. (author
design)
CATEGORY SUBCATEGORY DESCRIPTION
STUDIOS A shared flat consisting on 3-4 individual or double

CLUSTER CENTRAL studios with a private bathroom and a shared space
COMMON AREA with a shared kitchen and living room.
CLUSTER
STUDIOS a shared flat consisting on 4-6 individual or double
CLUSTER LATERAL studios with a private bathroom and a shared space
COMMON AREA with a shared kitchen and living room.
Common area for coworking, events, coffee corner

COWORKING AND EVENTS
sofa area, terrace
COMMUNITY AREAS Fitness and exercise area with equipment for
GYM
training and a multipurpose room
Shared space for watching tv and playing games.
PLAYGROUND
Excluded from the study
CIRCULATION ELEVATOR AND STAIRS Excluded from the study
74
Table 5 The table categorizes all the spaces of the Coliving space. Each is identified by a code that indicates the floor
and typology of space. 1D (First floor cluster studio "Derecha"), each area has a category and a typology of space
within the category and and assigned an area. The "renta antigua" is within the Coliving but the only residential are
that is not part of the Coliving and not included in the current case study. Data property of Urban Campus. (author
design)
FLOOR TYPO STUDIOS CAPACITY CATEGORY SUBCATEGORY AREA (NUA) AREA (GLA)
-1 -1C - 20 COMMUNITY AREA PLAYGROUND 81 102
0 0I - 15 COMMUNITY AREA GYM 60 76
1 1C 4 - CLUSTER CLUSTER CENTRAL 132 155
1 1D 6 - CLUSTER CLUSTER LATERAL 116 139
1 1I 6 - CLUSTER CLUSTER LATERAL 127 156
5 5I - - - RENTA ANTIGUA 127 156
6 6C - 30 COMMUNITY AREA COWORKING 99 119
TOTAL 80 65 2294 2768
The study compares the sample data from 4 different typologies of spaces in the Coliving as
categorized in Table 4. Three cluster spaces, a cluster is a shared flat consisting on individual
or double studios with a private bathroom and a shared space with a shared kitchen and living
room. Both the entrance door to the cluster and the door that separates the common cluster
spaces from the private studio had a digital smart lock, that managed entry permissions see
Table 6. The shared kitchens and living rooms of all the clusters were open to the entire
community from 07:00-23:59 and remain accessible only to cluster inhabitants during the
nights.
Table 6 Physical Classification of analysed spaces. (Size in Net Usable Area NUA)
Space Typology Reside Uses Access to all Size of the

nts colivers common space
75
2I Lateral Cluster 6 6 studios + 07:00 - 23:59 22m² - Total 127

kitchen/living- floor residents m²
space
2D Lateral Cluster 6 6 studios + 07:00 - 23:59 21m² - Total 116
kitchen/living- floor residents m²
space
1C Central Cluster 4 4 studios + Large 07:00 - 23:59 62m² - Total 132m²
kitchen/living- all residents
space
6C,0I Community 0 Coworking, 07:00 - 23:59 6C=99m²
Space social area, gym, all residents 0I=60m²
terraces
b2) Users definition

In what is defined as HCD, the objective of the research is to develop a tool that can collect
users’ interaction with spaces to learn and improve future design(Candido et al., 2016; Pereira
et al., 2020). The selection and curation of users involved in the case studies is essential to be
able to measure the specific behavioural patterns that intentionally respond to the sample of
participants that is needed to analyse and their interaction with the spaces. In both cases the
sample of study corresponds to the main users of the spaces, employees at the workspace and
colivers at the Coliving space. A HCD approach studies the interaction of users that are
currently occupying or using these spaces regularly, trying to interfere as minimum as possible
with their routines to understand their use of spaces. The current case study has been built on
the premises of a flexible organisation and two spaces that are considered shared spaces, where
both employees and colivers can move freely around the different areas and have freedom of
choice on what space to occupy at each moment. The only exception is for fixed positions in
the workspace (receptionists) and the studio spaces in the Coliving which are private areas only
accessible for the renter of that space.
The idea of selecting these specific spaces for the analysis is because it enables to learn from
the active choice of the occupants of the spaces. Not being assigned to an area, a specific
workstation or an apartment. enables active member to have free choice of where to stay,
providing information on occupation behaviours, members will presumably tend to visit the
spaces they prefer due to proximity to other team members or colleagues, or due to the comfort
of the furniture or workstation or atmospheric comfort (level of light, degree of noise...etc),
76
overall employees will avoid uncomfortable or "bad workstations". This freedom of choice
makes them as well owners and responsible of their choices, thinking actively of the spaces
and their preferences.
This enables to study working habits, mobility, preference, and flexibility of users. Their
working hours, and the comfortability or discomfort of certain areas, also gain contrast of the
concept design of an area with the real use it is given by users.
Table 7 Description of sample of participants
Characteristic Flexible office Coliving

participants - employees of the - colivers, residents of
(Included in the sample) workspace the Coliving spaces
- visitors - visitors
age 18-65 years 23-39
gender all genders included all genders included
nationality national and international national and
employees international colivers
degree of mobility both mobile and static all colivers were mobile
(if they could move freely employees during the period of
within the spaces) study
non-participants - nobody - cleaning and
(Excluded of the sample) maintenance staff of the
Coliving
- operators of the
Coliving spaces
Case study 1: flexible workplace

The subject group of study were the employees that passed by the space, reaching a total
number of 52 employees, Table 7. For the current study, full authorization was granted by the
residents and the data was treated in full compliance with the EU general data protection
regulation, (GDPR), being aggregated and anonymized accordingly to regulations. The
analysis was performed in accordance with the principles outlined in the Declaration of
Helsinki.

The subject group of study were the 72 residents of the Coliving, Table 7. For the current study,
full authorization was granted by the residents and the data was treated in full compliance with
77
the EU general data protection regulation, (GDPR), being aggregated and anonymized
accordingly to regulations. The analysis was performed in accordance with the principles
outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki.
b3) Data sources definition

The following are the 8 data sources identified during the State-of-the-Art process, standardised
and that form the base of the Digital POE Assessment. The following catalogue categorises
each of the Data sources, according to their attributes.
Wi-Fi Network: Example of data source: Wi-Fi

• Wi-Fi is used as an indoor location technique. Wi-Fi precision has a radio of Accuracy:
Depends on the space accuracy needed variates. Figure 37
• Algorithms: Need to be designed to extract data and assign geolocation techniques
• Privacy: Any data collected from humans needs to follow strict GDPR regulations
Figure 37 Features and Limitations of Indoor Positioning Techniques (InfSoft, 2016)
4.2.3 c) Settle the measurement procedures (Figure 38)
Figure 38 Step c) Settle the measurement procedures. Methodology generated for the Digital POE Tool (author
design)
78
c1) Responsibilities, roles and task definition

The following table represents the responsibilities and roles that have been essential to develop
both experiments and to design and validate the current tool. The following Table 8 identifies
the different agents, their expertise and role during both experiments.
• Designer: Designer of the experiment, identifies the need and the hypothesis and
creates a measuring experiment. Creates the KPIs to measure the experiment and
analyses the results.
• Space analyst: Identifies the spaces to be measured, reproduces the layouts locates the
users and its devices in the spaces and represents the obtained data in the layouts.
• Lead Engineer: Technology infrastructure definition and data analysis and generation.
• Data engineer: designs the data capturing and processing structure, develops data
analysis connectors to extract data and process it to obtain the requested information
• Data analyst: Cleans, structures, and analyses the data obtained, analyses the results
together with the designer and space analyst.
The following responsibilities and roles creation has been created to develop all the tasks
required for the experiment. The PhD candidate has a role of designer and space analyst.
*The space analyst is found to be a new role, not commonly needed within architecture and
design or data analytics activities. Is in the combination of both disciplines when a hybrid role
appears to transfer knowledge from physical design to digital understanding and vice versa.
The current tool also identifies that these skills will be of growing need in a paradigm where
digital design has a relevant growth rate and perspective.
The following Responsibility assignment matrix (RACI) is developed during the experiment:
the PhD candidate is responsible of the activities highlighted with a (*), according to the
experiment the PhD candidate assumed different roles regarding the knowledge, expertise, and
available resources.
Case study 1: flexible workplace (Table 8)

Table 8 RACI Matrix for Case study 01:Flexible Workplace
Product Director Space Lead Data Data

Manager A E E A
Role Structuring R A - C - -
Experiment Design R A I C I I
Sample selection R A I C C C
79
Variable R C A C C I
Tasks characterising
(KPIs)
Spatial definition A C R I I I
Data identification C C I A C R
Data extraction C C I A R C
Data cleaning - C - A R R
Data analysis C C - A C R
Results discussion R A C C I I
Conclusions R A C C C C
Distribution of roles in Experiment 1. Workspace. (R: Responsible, A: Accountable, C:
Consulted, I: Informed)
Case study 2: Coliving (Table 9)

Table 9 RACI Matrix for Case study 01:Flexible Workplace
Product Director Space Head Head of

Manager A of IT Innovation
Role Structuring R A - - -
Experiment Design R A I C C
Sample selection R A I C C
Variable characterising R C A I I
Tasks (KPIs)
Spatial definition A C R I I
Data identification C A I I C
Data extraction C A R C C
Data cleaning - A R I I
Data analysis - A R C C
Results discussion R A C C C
Conclusions R A C C C
As shown in the previous tables the role definition and task division are different between both
experiments. In the first experiment the development of the tool and the analysis of the data
was more complex. The different data was extracted directly from the data fonts. Experts with
different profiles were engaged to develop the experiment, automatise the data extraction and
analyse the data available. During the second experiment the PhD candidate had learned new
80
expertise and optimised the processes, the data was not extracted directly from the data source
but from API integrated that were responsible for the first data filtering phase. This enables to
optimise the distribution of roles and speed up the process.
A learning from the development of both case studies was to make the user friendly easy to use
to identify data sources and what inputs to be able to extract. When the data sources are
connected to an interface that collects stores and does a first classification of the raw data
directly or through and API it is easier for non-technicians to generate a data warehouse to
study and apply the tool.
c2) Timeline
Definition of the time for data collection study is essential to determine the length of the study
and the scope of the assessment. Incorporating digital data sources to the data ingestion process
enables automating the process of data collection and standardising the storage. The process
can be automated, and data can be either saved in digital storages raw (data lake) or processed
(data warehouse) and then it can be automatically processed and analysed or even saved in the
storage and be recuperated retroactively to analyse afterwards.
Traditional data sources (surveys, walkthroughs, interviews...) rely on human factor for data
collection, are considerably more resource consuming and less replicable and scalable.
Therefore, using digital data sources enables to elongate the time of studies and analyse and
compare trends and patterns of evolution of use of spaces and iteration with the understanding
of spatial performance.
c3) Timeline and data collection periodicity

The definition of the period of study is essential for the tool, to determine the period to analyse
and the scope of the experiment. The following Figure 39 and Figure 40show the program of
the case studies. The "flexible office" experiment took place in May 2019 pre Covid-19,
whereas the second case study "Coliving" took place during June 2021 post Covid-19 and
remotely to minimize risk of Covid-19 infection.
Case study 1: flexible workplace

The flexible workplace pilot takes place for 1 week in May 2019, pre-COVID19. The limitation
in time is due to the incorporation of 2 traditional data collection methods. QMv (Quantitative
Manual with viewers) and QMs (Quantitative Manual self-assessment) this two analogical
methods rely on humans to collect information, therefore extending it for longer time will imply
81
high human resources costs. In order make a comparison of both methods with QD
(Quantitative digital Wi-Fi networks) the study will all take place parallelly in the during the
same week.
The pilot study was undertaken for a total of 5 working days, Figure 39, May 13th-17th, of
2019 pre-covid and in normal conditions in an office where employees could work from home
or from the office, the most similar environment to a place with full mobility, the aim is to
study the applicability of this research for post-covid spaces.
Figure 39 Data collection schedule for the 3 data collection methods: QMv punctual data collection through
walkthroughs, QMs continues data collection while employees are present, QD continues data collection 24h (author
design)
The digital data analysis (QD) was automated and could be escalated and extended in time,
whereas the implementation of the 2 manual collection methods (QMv and QMv) could not be
extended in time due to cost and lack of scalability.
Case study 2: Coliving (Figure 40)

The Coliving pilot takes place for 1 month May 2021, post-COVID19. The 3 data sources
analysed are digital therefore data is available online and retroactively examined for 1 month.
In the case of the Smart Electrical Meter (SEM) data for 1 year is retroactively extracted to
compare and understand patterns from the different months of the year.
In the Coliving experiment the 3 data collection techniques were digital and either automated
or extracted from a platform connected to the data warehouse through an API. The possibility
of collecting this data almost real time and retroactively for 6-12 months depending on the
platform enables an easier process to extract data and a more extensive and scalable analysis
of buildings. For example, the same experiment could be replicated in other Coliving spaces
or even other buildings easier and in a very short period.
82
Figure 40 Data collection schedule for the Coliving spaces: Wi-Fi network, Smart electric meter (SEM), Access
control (author design)
The digital trail is therefore the only data source to develop an extensive and scalable tool to
assess buildings based on POE analysis as an iterative process to understand users’ behaviour
and improve future design of spaces.
c3) Communication
Ensuring the correct communication of the studies to be undertaken in the spaces is essential,
also highlighting not to modify their normal activities, use of space and behavioural patterns.
Ensuring compliance with the existent local and international laws and regulations.
Spain responds to European GDPR regulations the data was encrypted, codified, anonymized,
and aggregated. Comply with informed consent regulations
4.2.4 d/e) Data ingestion and ETL (Figure 41)
Figure 41 Step d) Data ingestion and e) ETL. Methodology generated for the Digital POE Tool (author design)
d1) Data Ingestion

The importance of incorporating digital trail to spatial analysis enables to automate the
extraction of data and review broader quantities of data and an iterative and even retroactive
analysis. The data from the digital trail is the only option to perform occupants’ behavioural
83
analysis it enables extensive data collection to enable comparison and scalability of the
experiment and to perform across periods of time for iterative design. Table 10
Table 10 Comparison of Manual and Digital data collection methods
Data source Extraction Advantages Disadvantages

Manual data Manual Physical storage Not retroactive
collection No need of IT devices Can incur in human error
No need of technical Not scalable
knowledge to collect and No automation
store data Expensive to perform for
long periods of time
Digital Data Automated Possibility to automate Need of IT devices

Collection through ETL Can retrieve raw data to Need of technical
process or solve errors knowledge to collect and
API Scalable store data
Can retrieve retroactive Need to purchase digital
data storage
Can perform for
extensive periods of time
The process of extracting, cleaning, filtering, encrypting, coding, aggregating and storing data
is called Extraction, Transformation and Loading (ETL). The process relies on the data sources
available and the data to be extracted. The level of digital maturity of the building and the data
processing determines the processes to be developed and algorithms.
e1) ETL*
The process of ETL is divided into the following phases.
• Data filtering: Selecting only the data that adds value
• Data polishing: Homogenizing and cleaning data to be processed
• Algorithm definition: a set of mathematical instructions or rules that, especially if given
to a computer, will help to calculate an answer to a problem given a set of premises
• Data storing: Collecting the raw data and the processed data in storage systems to be
analysed. Large quantities of data (Big Data) need special data lakes and data
warehouses for storage.
84
As reflected in the Roles and Responsibilities (RACI) matrix, this stage of the methodology
is generally performed by technicians, including data analysts, data engineers, informatic
profiles or even telecommunications. For the Flexible Workplace case study, a whole team
of IT members (the technical side of Di-Dy, BICG) oversaw this section, they developed a
customised platform, connectors, and algorithms to enable this data extraction for the Wi-
Fi system. In case of the coliving, the data from the Wi-Fi was manually extracted from
Cloudtrax, while the Smartlocks and SEM system had their own company platform that
extracted and stored the data.
4.2.5 f) Console evaluation (Figure 42)
Figure 42 Step f) Console evaluation. Methodology generated for the Digital POE Tool (author design)
Management of the data and improvement of the processes. The console can be an in-house
tool as (Di-Dy) at the flexible workplace. Data from this experiment was downloaded and
then analysed and studied using Tableau, an interactive data visualization software
company focused on business intelligence.
In the case of the Coliving case study, all the data was downloaded from the Software
platforms themselves and processed and analysed through PowerBI, a business analytics
service by Microsoft. It aims to provide interactive visualizations and business intelligence
capabilities with an interface simple enough for end users to create their own reports and
dashboards. It is part of the Microsoft Power Platform.
The overall process of console evaluation, improvements and visualization relies on the
ETL* process and the visualization process.
85
The console and experiment results processes applies the KPIs to measure the different
tools.
Periodicity
• Once (single time experiment)
• Periodical, programmed to perform in a series of repetitions
• Continuous (automated ETL process) filtering cleaning and indicators process is also
automated. Data and KPIs are updated automatically.
4.2.6 g) KPI visualization tool (Figure 43)
Figure 43 Step g) KPI visualization tool. Methodology generated for the Digital POE Tool (author design)
g1) Data visualization

Results and data analysis can be visualized in different forms:
• Report, the most simple, processed, and analogical results visualization, and less
interactive
• Visualization dashboard (PowerBI, Tableau, Data Studio, or Graphext)
• Customized platform/app, In-house design visualization tool
Visualization enables decision making processes, improvements on data processing methods
and KPIs and iteration of the case studies.
The visualization must enable the AECD practitioners to understand and interpret results.
This methodology enables to modify spaces and iteratively analyse the results thanks to an in-
built, scalable, and automated process.
86
4.3 STAGE 3: Pilot development
The stage 3 is the pilot development. This specific stage is detailed and analyzed step by step
for both case studies in chapter V. Both case studies enabled to further detail the Digital POE
Methodology, the steps, and the process, iterating the Methodology implemented and as a last
step identifying the variables that determine the Digital POE Tool. The following Figure 44
shows the methodology highlighting the different variables that were identified to analyze the
Digital POE Methodology of a building and that were afterwards correlated to create the Digital
POE Tool.
Figure 44 Digital POE Methodology structure. Highlighted variables that will nourish the Digital POE Tool (author
design)
4.4 STAGE 4: Digital POE Tool
The Digital POE Tool, Figure 44, is the assessment instrument generated after the whole
process of creating and applying the Digital POE Methodology to 2 case studies, iterating the
process, and standardising the process to include other data sources and parameters identified
during the state-of-the-art definition and to enable a holistic analysis of different buildings. The
Digital POE Tool is applied to a space and correlates. the data sources available in a building
(instruments to measure) with the assessment parameters (what you can measure) and provides
you insights in what pillars of the space you will be able to assess and what insights. The Digital
87
POE Tool also indicates the possibilities of data processing ETL, visualization and even the
scope of the data sources available and the need to conduct specific data anonymization and
encrypting processes. After responding to the previous stages, the Digital POE Tool will enable
you to understand the level of Digital maturity of the case study to be assessed, in two ways.
One, digital maturity of the data analytics infrastructure, and 2 the digital maturity of the
assessment process.
4.5 Conclusions chapter IV
The following development of the Digital POE Tool, represented as a screenshot in Figure 45,
and the Data sources flashcards, Figure 46, (see detail in Annex A) are the conclusions of
Chapter IV.
88
Figure 45 Digital POE Tool (author design)
89
90
Figure 46 Data sources flashcards, description of the data source, example of hardware. Correlated and analysed
under the Digital POE Tool.
91
CHAPTER V CASE STUDY 1
The following chapter narrates the pilot studies of the Methodology for the Digital POE Tool.
CASE STUDY 1: FLEXIBLE WORKPLACE The environment laboratory is the
headquarters of BICG. A flexible workspace.
92
93
5.1 Introduction
Data are required for optimizing workplace design, assessing user experience, and ensuring
wellbeing. This case study focuses on the benefits of incorporating post-occupancy evaluation
(POE) data analysis by studying the digital trail of employees generated by the existing Wi-Fi
infrastructure of the office. The objective is to enable a safe return to offices through
compliance with COVID-19 space-capacity regulations and in consideration of the health and
wellbeing of employees. Workplaces, teams, and people have become more digitalized and
therefore more mobile due to the globalization of knowledge and cutting-edge technological
innovations, a process that has been accelerated by the COVID-19 crisis. Now, hybrid work
and fully remote working routines are increasing in a significant number of companies.
Nevertheless, with the return to the office, understanding how to calibrate spatial capacity is
now key for workplaces and companies. Traditional assessment methods are obsolete; new
methods that respond to mobility, changing occupancy rates, and comfort are essential. This
case study analyzes, through the case study of a pre-COVID-19 activity-based office, the
advantages of using digital indoor-location techniques (such as Wi-Fi networks, which
additionally have the advantage of being previously installed in the majority of these spaces).
The case study demonstrates that the incorporation of digital POE of user trends enabled a more
seamless, accurate, and scalable return to a new normal office work scenario and an improved
post-COVID-19 design of workplaces.
The objective of this case study is to evaluate the improvements of using digital infrastructure
already in place at an office as a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) tool Table 11 to gain input
on the employees’ use of space. New flexible workspaces will require indoor positioning
methods such as Wi-Fi to facilitate POE . The purpose of this case study is to demonstrate the
improvement of the workplace by the assessment of user experience, operations, and health
and wellbeing through indoor data-driven analysis (Pereira et al., 2020)
94
Table 11 Conceptual analysis assessment framework development for the methodology.
Parameters
Measurement Assessment
Methods (What We Metrics & Literature
Standards Framework
Measure)
- Occupancy and density rates (Cha et
al., 2018; Foth, 2009; Stevenson and
Leaman, 2010)
- Time and duration of stay (Stevenson
and Leaman, 2010)
- Occupancy reiteration (Foth, 2009;
- User
Stevenson and Leaman, 2010)
satisfaction
- Diversity of users (Weijs-Perrée et al., User
survey
2019) experience
- Workplace (user
- Team working patterns (Foth, 2009; satisfaction)
designer
Nguyen and Aiello, 2013; Stevenson
interview
QMv: and Leaman, 2010)
Quantitati
ve - User mobility and silos (Foth, 2009;
manual Nguyen and Aiello, 2013; Stevenson
(viewers)
Presence and Leaman, 2010)
Occupancy
QMs: - User spatial preferences (Nguyen and
of space
Quantitati
ve Aiello, 2013)
Duration
manual
of stay - Workplace
(self- - Occupancy and density rates (Cha et
assessme optimization
Reiteration al., 2018; Foth, 2009; Stevenson and Operations
nt)
Proximity ratios (occupancy
Leaman, 2010)
QD: between users - Design and cost
Quantitati - Time and duration of stay (Stevenson efficiency)
standards
ve digital and Leaman, 2010)
(Wi-Fi
location) - Workplace
regulations
- Occupancy and density rates (Cha et (e.g.,
al., 2018; Foth, 2009; Stevenson and occupancy,
Leaman, 2010) safety)
Health and
- Time and duration of stay (Stevenson - Building wellbeing
and Leaman, 2010) facility (health and
regulations)
- Diversity of users (Weijs-Perrée et al., management
2019) systems
- Building
automation
- Biophilic design
95
5.2 Materials and Methods
In this case study, the presence, length of stay and choice of the users, and proximity among
users were analyzed through 3 different methods developed by the authors as part of the
Business Innovation Consulting Group (BICG), two analog and one digital. The studies took
place in parallel during the same time frame and in the same space to realize a comparative and
complementary analysis.
• Method 1. Wi-Fi Digital Data Source Figure 47: The quantitative digital (QD) method
is an indoor location method based on using the Wi-Fi network signal to identify the
position of the employees by locating the position of their digital devices (laptop,
mobile phone signal). The devices do not need to be connected to the office Wi-Fi
network; the Wi-Fi has an automatic process to constantly see device traces within its
radius of influence. These traces are linked to real spaces like a fingerprint; each real
space of the office has a digital fingerprint assigned, and the trail is referred to as a
digital trail. The QD method was used to collect data inputs from devices 24 h a day
for the 5 days of study. These raw data were later anonymized, cleaned, filtered, and
aggregated to show patterns of use of spaces. These data were processed through a
digital platform of own generation and then visualized with Tableau. It lustrates the
analysis of Wi-Fi with the Digital POE Tool. For the QD, the process was based on Di-
Dy, a complete team of data analysis, computer processing and data visualization were
part of the ETL process (data extraction, transformation, and loading) as well of
computer processing and visualization tool
Figure 47 Digital POE Assessment Tool (Wi-Fi analysis)
96
Figure 48 RACI Matrix definition for roles and responsibilities. QD method, Wi-Fi network
• Method 2: The quantitative manual “viewers” (QMv) method is a method of tracking

employee location by external professionals, called “viewers”; these viewers were
trained to do regular walkthroughs of all the office spaces following a map of the office
and writing down the occupied or empty spots of the office every time they pass by.
Walkthroughs registering the different locations of employees were done every 30 min
from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for the 5 days of the study. These data were later transcribed
to Excel and then visualized with Tableau, a business analytics service by Microsoft to
provide interactive visualizations.
• Method 3: The quantitative manual “self-register” (QMs) method is a method of
tracking employee location by self-registering. Employees signed in on a case study at
their location every time they sat at a workstation and signed out every time they left a
spot. The rule was to sign in every time they would sit for more than 5 min during the
5 days of study. During the cleaning of these data, entries shorter than 10 min were
erased. There was a lack of accuracy because the employees sometimes forgot to sign
out after a short stay. These data were later transcribed to Excel and visualized with
Tableau.
The case study analyses and compares the different methods to analyze space to monitor these
metrics, it is possible to improve the user experience, occupancy, cost optimization, and
wellbeing, which can directly impact business performance and talent attraction and retention
(Remoy and van der Voordt, 2013).
97
The Digital POE Tool generated to assess the data inputs through the 3 data collection methods
(QD, QMv, and QMs). This analysis tool is a methodology to provide a framework that
structures the dataset obtained from the different methods. The process of the study is as
follows: the data collection methods assess certain identified parameters, providing metrics that
will answer the required measurement standards that will finally provide inputs to the global
analysis framework.
5.2.1 Research Design

The pilot study was designed as part of BICG research and innovation team to enable the
measurement of the use and occupancy of the spaces through a mixed-methods (Creswell, 2009)
study composed of both quantitative manual and digital methods. The relevance of the current
study for post-COVID-19 assessment is related to the opportunity to learn from offices that,
before COVID-19, had already implemented a mobility strategy for employees and were using
data analysis to assess occupancy and use of spaces.
At the analyzed office, the headquarters of BICG, employees were not assigned to workstations
even before COVID-19; the company had an innovative way of working that they developed
and implemented in office spaces. BICG provided with mobile working devices
(laptop/tablet/phone) to all the employees and they were free to choose their location inside or
outside the workspace, they were typified as “mobile employees”. The space that enables such
mobility is referred to as “flexible workspace”; after the pandemic, offices started making
spaces more flexible and employees became more mobile due to changing regulations on space
capacity to respond to COVID-19.
The current study was divided into 5 stages as shown in Figure 49.
98
Figure 49 Project roadmap. (Author design)
The QD method, based on the analysis of data from the Wi-Fi Network applied the Digital POE
Methodology for data analysis as shown in Figure 50.
Figure 50 Digital POE Methodology applied for QD Method (Wi-Fi)
99
5.2.2 Pilot Study

The pilot study of the “flexible workspace” intelligence was carried out at the headquarters of
a medium-size international company based in Madrid. The office gross leasable area (GLA)
is 469 m2 Figure 51 and has a capacity of 48 people Table 12. The pilot study was undertaken
for a total of 5 working days, 13–17 May 2019, pre-COVID-19, and in normal conditions in an
office where employees could work from home or from the office, the most similar
environment to a place with full mobility; the aim is to study the applicability of this research
for post-COVID-19 spaces.
Table 12 Users definition
Figure 51 Interior photographs of the office space analyzed: (a) Entrance; (b) Pradera; (c) Jardín; (d) Altar.
100
The data collection methods did not make a distinction between permanent employees, visiting
employees, and occasional external visitors. In the data cleaning phase, the different data
registers were classified and categorized or dismissed.
Regarding the QMv study, the first limitation is that the inputs are collected through “viewers”
that count the number of employees in space; as these numbers are not tagged to a person and
data are anonymized, the QMv does not identify individual employee locations or timespans,
whereas the information of QD and QMs is also anonymized but processed before to identify
timespans. The research was undertaken to understand the dynamics of the employees at the
office. The data were aggregated and anonymized in compliance with the principles outlined
in the GDPR regulations, and the study was performed in accordance with the principles
outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki; all participants gave written informed consent
(Bourgeois et al., 2018; Chang et al., 2019; Jia et al., 2019).
To comply with GDPR regulations, the data were encrypted, codified, anonymized, and
aggregated. The study is based on the current European regulations and previous research on
GDPR-compliant Wi-Fi indoor location techniques to ensure data compliance (Bourgeois et
al., 2018; Chang et al., 2019; Jia et al., 2019).
The data encryption was performed encrypting the raw data with a unidirectional code function
that substitutes the MAC number of the devices for a unique random code using a #+Alt
function that makes the original anonymous MAC number unretrievable.
Afterward, the data were always treated aggregated.
The data collection schedule of the parts of the study that were undertaken is shown in Figure
52. Employees had a flexible schedule; despite this, the reception counter was open for external
visits from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday to Thursday and from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on
Fridays.
Figure 52 Data collection schedule for the 3 data collection methods: QMv, punctual data collection through
walkthroughs; QMs, continuous data collection while employees are present; QD, continuous data collection 24 h.
101
An initial analysis of data collection methods regarding schedule showed that QD was the most
complete, collecting rigorous and continuous data 24 h a day. QMs and QMv were more
irregular and required additional training of the viewers (QMv) or the employees themselves
(QMs), which meant they required a greater investment of time and were less scalable, as well
as introducing the possibility of human error.
Stage 1: Spatial Assessment. Enclosed Laboratory Definition

The space within the office first needed to be classified to be measured: if you cannot measure
it, you cannot prove it (Willcocks and Lester, 1996). The granularity will differ with each
collection method. For this study, for the QMv and QMs methods, the information of the
occupancy was collected distinguishing each workstation individually, while for the QD
method the data were classified through DARs as a minimum space unit. A DAR is the
minimum measurable area space distinguished by the measurement tool (in this case, Wi-Fi).
The DARs were manually defined to integrate workstation clusters or areas with the same
function. The “flexible workspace” is understood as a combination of DARs. DARs will be
classified according to their typologies as workstation, meeting, informal, and value-added
spaces as shown in Table 13.
Table 13 Office Space Classification table. All areas of the ABO are classified according to the activity that it has been
designed for, the subcategory within the main function and a detailed description
Each DAR was coded and categorized given the following features and as shown in Table 14.
102
Table 14 Office spaces per category, indicating floor, code, name capacity, number of seats, category typology, and
total area in m²
• Floor, type (letter that represents the typology, e.g., W = workshop);

• Category (classification of the space in relation to an activity-based working (ABW)
office);
• Typology (subclassification of the category in relation to the activities developed),
capacity, and area in m2 (Remoy and van der Voordt, 2013).
Following the classification of Figure 52, the different DARs were tagged in layouts
Figure 53 to enable data collection methods for QMv and further data processing for QMs and
QD. Figure 53 also tags the access points (APs) available at the office for the QD study.
A walkthrough path Figure 54 sheet of each floor was also designed and printed for the QMv;
the “viewers” used this sheet to mark the occupancy of each space every half hour.
103
(a)
(b)
(c)
104
Figure 53 Example of workplace area layout tagged by DARs identified by colors. APs are also tagged and named. (a)
Ground Floor (spaces: Workshop, Kitchen, Flower, Altar, Clients, and Reception); (b) First Floor (spaces: Jardín,
Salon, Pradera, Video, Green, Orange...)
(a)
(b)
Figure 54 Example of the walkthrough path sheet. (b) Blank register sheets from the QMs.
105
Stage 2: Data Collection (QMs, QMv, and QD)

The quantitative manual “self-registering” (QMs) study took place organically as the members
registered during their working hours and every time they moved until they left the space. The
transition times and other activities that are not strictly working, such as informal chats or
phone calls in other spaces apart from the workstations, were not collected. The QMs self-
register sheets Figure 54 were attached to the different tables or walls at the space and
completed by the employees; each day, the data were collected and filled into the databases to
be prepared for the next phase, data cleaning.
The quantitative manual “viewers” (QMv) study was organized to take place between 9:00 a.m.
and 6:00 p.m. The viewers walked through the spaces collecting information every 30 min. The
viewers recorded the occupancy of the different areas without identifying the users or the
technology they were using in each area (mobile phone, laptop, or screen in the meeting spaces).
The data were recorded on the walkthrough path sheets Figure 54 and transferred to the
working databases every day to be cleaned.
The quantitative digital (QD) study registered employee data trails 24 h a day and stored them
in a data warehouse on the cloud. The study registered all the digital trails generated by the
users while they had their devices (mobile, laptop, table) on in the office space, even if they
did not have the Wi-Fi enabled.
“For these studies the data collection through Wi-Fi systems relied on the fingerprinting
technique. Every time user devices (laptop, mobile phone...) conduct a scan of nearby access
points (looking for Wi-Fi), all access points in range receive a message containing the unique
identifier of the device and a signal strength corresponding to the distance to the access point.
The combination of signals received by each access point is called a fingerprint” (Campos et
al., 2014; Carlucci et al., 2020; de Blasio et al., 2017; Meneses and Moreira, 2012; Wang and
Shao, 2018)
The IT network was built using Cloudtrax software and devices. The network was a
combination of 7 APs distributed around the 3 floors of space: 2 on the ground floor, 4 on the
first floor, and 1 on the upper floor. The location of the APs was not planned or modified for
this study; future lines of research on planned locations of the AP devices will be suggested to
optimize the location tracking grid.
The Wi-Fi digital trail works as if it was a digital fingerprint of the presence of a device in the
space Figure 55. The model was trained throughout the algorithm to identify the digital prints
emitted by the devices with the digital fingerprints that identify each space. If the digital print
106
matched one of the recorded reference fingerprints, then the device was allocated to that
specific space; if it did not meet the requirements of any space, the devices were not considered
as being in one of the measurable areas. This operation was repeated
every time the device sent a signal transferring the digital print.
Stage 3: Data Cleaning and Clustering

The data cleaning phase was essential to be able to compare and assess the results. Meanwhile,
the QMv and QMs were cleaned manually by dismissing any invalid results and classifying the
data from the different databases with the office categories Table 13.
The QD study conducted a deeper analysis that included data science analysis and
corroboration of the triangulation methods to generate a quantitative sum of registers. The APs
collected numerous registers of location per minute; to be able to assess and lower the
uncertainty, the data collected were clustered in 3 min periods, which means that records from
the same device in the same position with a shorter timespan than 3 min
were considered as one; in addition, isolated registers were dismissed to lower uncertainty.
Figure 56 shows a representation of the record count of signals received from each AP for
every DAR.
Figure 55 Data collection schedule for the 3 data collection methods: QMv. punctual data collection through
walkthroughs; QMs, continuous data collection while employees are present; QD, continuous data collection 24 h.
(Property of BICG)
107
Figure 56 Access points and record count from each space (digital platform visualizations are shown with black
background). (Property of BICG)
Once the data were cleaned, they were classified and analysed through the categories.
After being processed, the data were imported to the software Tableau (https://www.
tableau.com/, accessed on 1 January 2019) to merge and filter the data, and an in-house digital
platform was created to visualize different dashboards with the data and enable easy decision-
making processes. Figures in this case study that come from the digital platform have a black
background and color-coding.
The process of data cleaning was as follows:
• Data selection and storage. The data selection was only applied for QD, selecting data
only during office working hours to avoid including data from the cleaning service team
or maintenance done during night shifts.
• Data segmentation and cleaning. Data cleaning was executed for inaccurate data or
incomplete data for QMv and QMs methods and for any register of a stay under 10 min
in any of the methods.
• Data labelling. Data were labelled according to time of the register and spatial location
of the stays to classify per spatial occupancy; data were also automatically tagged
according to the team or department of each employee.
• Data assessing. Aggregated data were analysed and visualized in the metrics identified
to understand patterns of presence, occupancy of space, duration of stay, reiteration,
and proximity.
108
The data collected through the different data collection methods (QMs, QMv, QD) were
classified according to the parameters developed in the Digital POE Tool. Table 15 analyses
how each data collection method can provide information on the different parameters requested.
Table 15 Assessment of the different criteria of the Digital POE Tool by the 3 methods
1. Presence tables: Analyse the signs of present users at the office or at the different DARs
identified.
2. Occupancy of space: Correlates the presence of tables with the capacity of the different
spaces.
3. Duration of stay: Studies the duration of employee presence at a certain space.
4. Reiteration of stay: Analyses the frequency of use of the spaces by the different users.
5. Proximity between users: Analyses the relationship between users by understanding their
occupancy of spaces at the same time.
5.3 Results
The results are structured according to the parameters developed in the Digital POE Tool.
QMv analysis could only provide insights on occupancy of the DAR because the data collected
could not be labelled and non-invasive way seamlessly. Data extraction and storage could also
be automated for longer periods and therefore broader, scalable, and more extensive analysis.
The data from the QD were automatically extracted from Wi-Fi, stored in what is called a data
lake (an online data warehouse that stores data 24 h a day automatically), encrypted, and
anonymized. This specific study programmed the data extraction and storage of 5 days of data.
If programmed for future research, the automatic data extraction could be programmed for a
long and continuous period. Data would then be automatically extracted and stored in the
digital warehouse. Data could be extracted the same day for analysis, or past data from previous
109
days, months, or years (retroactive data) could be extracted for analysis at users’ convenience.
This is only possible with digital analysis and automatization of data extraction from Wi-Fi
networks.
followed. QMs provided very complete information but was not very accurate on duration of
stay because employees in 17% of the cases forgot to sign out of the place they were situated
at or forgot to sign in when they sat down. The quantitative digital method was the most
accurate data collection method: it could assess data 24 h and in a
5.3.1 Presence Results
The three data collection methods provide insights on presence. The Wi-Fi location methods
enable the full-time collection and storage of data in a nonintrusive way and retroactively. The
QMv and QMs studies achieved the same results but required forward planning, and data could
not be obtained retroactively for dates different than those considered for the study.
The study demonstrates that the presence of users in the different spaces was very uneven.
Table 16 shows the employee presence in the different DARs or areas of the office by time of
day. Pradera, Jardín, and Workshop were identified as the most popular areas chosen by users,
occupied by five or more people during the study.
110
Table 16 Presence per DAR (quantitative manual data). Numbers indicate the number of employees present at each
spaces per hour. Dark colors highlight the areas with more users present at a time
The study demonstrates that the presence of users in the different spaces was very uneven.
Table 16 shows the employees present in the different DARs or areas of the office by the time
of day. Table 17 describes the most popular spaces, with higher rates of presence, among
employees (Pradera, Jardín, and Workshop), with higher presence across the study according
to Table 16, and crosses these results with additional feedback from employees to understand
the positive aspects of the spaces and why they were the most popular among employees.
111
Table 17 Spaces with positive performance and relevant employee feedback.
Table 18 describes the spaces with negative performance, with very low presence across the
study according to Table 16 and crosses these results with additional feedback from employees
to understand negative aspects of the spaces, why they were not chosen by employees, and how
they can be improved. All the spaces categorized as underperforming had in common “user
experience factors” as shown in the table.
Table 18 Spaces with negative performance and relevant employee feedback
Table 19 shows the occupancy of spaces regarding the specific users of a team; their presence
was highly concentrated in the Pradera space. This was because of the presence of screens and
the proximity to meeting rooms and other members of their team and the teams they work with.
5.3.2 Occupancy Results

Correlating the presence data with the capacity of each space enables the understanding of the
occupancy of each DAR Table 20. The research shows a disparity in occupancy of spaces;
112
when understanding workplace occupancy, the targeted occupancy for the current study is to
be between 70 and 90% of the capacity of the space.
Occupancy per DAR = Number of users/Capacity of the DAR
Table 19 Design team presence per DAR. Numbers indicate the number of employees from design team present at
each spaces per hour. Dark colors highlight the areas with more users present at a time
113
Table 20 Occupancy/capacity per DAR (measured in %). Numbers indicate the number of employees occupying each
space divided by the capacity of the space, expressed as a percentage. The number of employees present at each space
per hour. Dark colors highlight the areas with more users present at a time
Regarding I, the Imperial meeting room, it can be observed that it was under capacity for most
of the time, or being used by 1 or 2 employees, whereas R, GG, and OO were well sized.
Informal Areas are designed to be used occasionally.
Valued-added spaces are designed for specific moments of the day or events; rather than
recording the average occupancy during the day, the occupancy check should be done at these
specific moments of time during peak occupancy. In this study, the value-added space is the
kitchen, and the lunch space and occupancy were checked regarding peaks of occupancy during
lunchtime (13:30-15:30)
Table 21
114
Table 21 Occupancy table highlighting kitchen occupancy during regular lunchtime (between 13:30 and 15:30).
Numbers indicate the number of employees occupying the kitchen divided by the capacity of the space, expressed as a
percentage. The number of employees present at each space per hour. Dark colors highlight the areas with more
users present at a time.
5.3.3 Duration of Stay Results

As the assessment of duration of stay data requires identifying who is occupying each space at
each moment of time, it was only enabled by QMs and QD. Error! Reference source not found. s
hows the average timespan of the users per DAR. Timespans demonstrate the purpose and use
of space. Workspaces are designed for longer timespans whereas informal areas are designed
for shorter timespans or occasional interactions. Data are filtered by eliminating any stays
shorter than 10 min. Although QD could accurately register stays shorter than 10 min, both
QM studies could not. QMv could only register stays every 30 min during each walkthrough,
and for QMs the employees would forget to register their short stays for coffees or chats as
they were focused on their daily tasks. To ensure accuracy and eliminate randomization, the
minimum stay registered was 10 min; this was communicated to employees for the QMs, and
data for short stays were erased from the study for QD.
115
Figure 57 Chart showing average stay per DAR in minutes.
5.3.4 Reiteration Results

Only the QMs and QD enabled reiteration assessment because they are the only data collection
methods that enable the identification of the occupants of the spaces. Due to QMs being
significantly difficult to implement and unreliable, QD is essentially the only way to understand
users’ choices, which is fundamental in a flexible workspace. Understanding users’ preferences
enables a better understanding of the sample to improve employee-centric spatial design.
Reiteration of space usage is essential to understanding work dynamics of the employees.
Insights gained from free movement choice-habits tailored to the user profiles enable future
HCD of spaces (Agee et al., 2021; Norman, 2013). Reiterative presence in certain areas or what
is called “iteration” shows satisfaction with space. It enables the understanding of occupancy
trends and the measurement of the popularity of each space. When designing office spaces for
flexible users, the intention is to design attractive workspaces for the different teams and user
profiles; employees occupy different spots and interact between teams to foster collaboration
and creativity (Arundell et al., 2018).
Figure 58 shows the popularity index of spaces, highlighting the spaces that have been
occupied by users of different teams. The spaces with the highest popularity indexes have been
occupied by users that belong to different teams or departments, improving the number of
indirect interactions by sitting close to each other.
116
Figure 58 Space popularity graph (each color represents an anonymized employee)
5.3.5 Proximity between Users

An evolution from the previous learning, user choice, is the correlation between users and the
proximity to others, directly studying the relations between teams and users and what spaces
are regarded as concentration spaces or formal or informal interaction between users
(Gerdenitsch et al., 2016; Rothe et al., 2011). A future line of research could be to further
analyze interaction patterns between users and how space enhances or limits those interactions.
5.4 Discussion
It is important to consider that this study was conducted during a specific moment in time,
during one week in May 2019, pre-COVID-19. The importance of this study for a pandemic
and post-pandemic period is related to the possibility to use QD and Wi-Fi tracking methods
to understand behavioural patterns of the use of the office and occupancy specifically now after
a pandemic when workplace dynamics are evolving and quickly changing due to restrictions,
regulations, and growth of hybrid and flexible new ways of working. QD enables a scalable,
fast sensor-free method to understand workplace dynamics.
The relevance of the case study becomes essential to a post-COVID-19 situation, when offices
are going back to presential or semipresential work and there is a critical need to measure
occupancy of spaces due to health situations and compliance with COVID-19 regulations in
constant evolution.
117
QD proved to be the only feasible assessment method that enables an almost real-time measure
of occupancy of spaces inside an office with any degree of mobility, and Wi-Fi is the only
assessment tool that is already installed in most of the current offices and enables a fast analysis,
24 h, without added manpower (without viewers like QMv), self-registration QMs
(unsustainable for the long run), or additional equipment such as sensors. Using Wi-Fi as an
indoor location technique and QD as the assessment methodology would enable tracking and
ensuring health and wellbeing in the offices, as well as ensuring occupancy compliance and
optimization of spaces.
Regarding POE , an additional value of QD methods relies on the scalability of the assessment,
as QD could be performed at any moment once the mechanism for data collection is established,
whereas both QM methods require a higher investment in time and budget to be performed
over the period and ensure accurate human-centred assessment over the period.
QD and QMs also enabled the correlation of the information collected with the different users,
later aggregated and anonymized. Therefore, QD and QMs enable a deeper analysis of
behavioural routine and employees’ relationships if segregated by parameters such as
department, team, hierarchy, and sex. This enrichment of the data enables the undertaking of
deeper studies towards human-centred, sustainable, and inclusive workplaces.
Regarding users’ feedback on the three parts of the study, between the three different collection
methods, the users highlighted that they preferred QD data collection because it was less
intrusive than QMv and did not require any task to be done by themselves, unlike QMs.
5.4.1 Global Occupancy of the Workplace

The first conclusion is that users, as they have freedom of choice, tend to sit in the spaces that
suit their preferences of spatial comfort or team networks and habits. The three methods, QD,
QMs, and QMv, enable the measurement of the global occupancy of the workplace. The office
space has a capacity of 48 employees Figure 59 (plus occasional external visitors); when
employees were asked about their level of satisfaction with the space, their answer was that the
office was overcrowded and required additional capacity. The average occupancy measured in
the workspace was 86%, the median being 90% and the highest peak being 106%. The
workspace never surpassed the capacity of the space by more than 6% of the total. The problem
was, therefore, not the global occupancy but the uneven distribution.
118
5.4.2 Occupancy per Space (Measured in DAR)

The occupancy of the different spaces is uneven Table 20. There are two spaces that often face
overcapacity, namely Pradera and the Jardín. Both spaces are in the central area of the office,
close to the meeting rooms and between each other. For Pradera, employees highlighted the
ergonomic chairs; the fact that several workstations have double screens, despite these only
being 30% of the total workstations; the size of the DAR that enables medium-sized teams to
sit nearby; and the proximity to the meeting rooms. In the case of Jardín, the reasons given
were different, including the comfort of the chairs, the silence, the natural light, and the views,
as it is the only area in the office with a view of the park.
Figure 59 Global occupancy of the workspace (total capacity: 48)
Accordingly, the spaces that have the lowest occupancy ratios have informal and no working
chairs, a lack of natural light, and low artificial light. The relevance of the study relies on the
efficiency of understanding the spaces to identify why they are less occupied and to understand
what the preference between the users is. The study of occupancy and distances is of vital
relevance in a post-pandemic future workplace, where occupancy will be constantly monitored,
as will the quality of space, comfort, light, and ventilation, to prevent health risks and ensure
user comfort.
5.5 Conclusions chapter V
The study demonstrates that data analysis of the workplace through employees’ digital trails
and indoor location techniques enables a more complete, efficient, and quantifiable analysis of
119
the workplace occupancy and usage towards future HCD of spaces. The following conclusions
were reached.
1. “Flexible workspaces” require data analysis to understand the levels of occupancy and
use of the workplace and to assess user experience and operations feedback. The Digital
POE Tool can analyse the overall office performance and provide a detailed
understanding of the use of the different spaces and the preferences and work dynamics
of users.
2. QD was demonstrated to be an innovative method with added-value insights on office
space use and user dynamics. It could be implemented in other workspaces in order to
understand post-COVID-19 use of spaces and evolving work dynamics. It is seamless,
scalable, and 24 h, without additional infrastructure, and it can be managed remotely,
ensuring the health and wellbeing of employees and enabling mobility in space and
compliance with both COVID-19 and employee privacy regulations as summarized in
Table 22.
120
Table 22 Comparison of Digital POE Tool methodology outputs by applying the 3 methods of study (QMv, QMs and
QD) (author design)
3. Using existing digital infrastructure, such as Wi-Fi digital trails, enables continuous and
cost-efficient data collection that provides insights not obtainable by analogue methods.
They are also perceived as less intrusive by employees and can manage greater amounts
of data over time with little to no infrastructure, thus being more scalable.
121
Figure 60 Digital POE Tool application for QD. Wi-Fi network
4. Workplace data analytics show valuable insights addressing not only COVID-19
regulations but also space performance, team dynamics, employee routines, and levels
of satisfaction with space. This will become essential to shaping future space learning
from environments in continuous change.
5. The study demonstrates that employees who are given the opportunity to move and
choose where to work value spaces that foster team building and wellbeing. Spaces that
enable networking activities and are close to meeting rooms and spaces with ergonomic
furniture and high-quality screens and chairs were preferred to spaces with less comfort,
little access to natural light, low artificial light, and isolated or uncomfortable furniture,
which were unoccupied for the majority of the assessed period.
6. Data analytics will become a basis for understanding workspace operations, user
dynamics and behaviour, and spatial wellbeing to improve spatial design for the future
of spaces.
122
CHAPTER VI CASE STUDY 2
The following chapter narrates the pilot studies of the Methodology for the Digital POE Tool.
CASE STUDY 2: COLIVING The environment laboratory is a Coliving of Urban Campus.
All the data and the property of the study belongs to Urban Campus
123
124
6.1 Introduction
Sustainable spaces are those that are optimized, accessible, promote user experience and aim
to reduce CO2 emissions while enhancing users’ well-being and comfort. The purpose of this
case study is to present a methodology that was developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to
understand and improve the use of coliving spaces based on remote Post-Occupancy
Evaluation (POE) analysis of the digital trail generated by the users. Applying the Digital POE
Methodology based on data collection from IT in frastructure enabled to identify opportunities
to improve the future design of human-centred spaces.
The residential market, design-wise traditional for centuries, is now facing a high-speed
adaptation to the changing needs, accelerated by the COVID-19 crisis. New ways of living and
shared spaces like Coliving are escalating. Technology is both an enabler of this shift in
housing and the solution to operating and managing these new buildings. This case study
demonstrates, through the case study of a Coliving space located in Madrid, Spain, the benefits
of implementing data analysis of the digital trail collected from in-built IT systems such as
smart locks, Wi-Fi networks and electric consumption devices. The conclusion is that analysing
the available data from the digital infrastructure of coliving buildings can enable practitioners
to improve the future design of residential spaces.
6.2 Materials and Methods
The study relied on available digital infrastructure designed for Urban Campus Colivings
(smart locks, Wi-Fi, and electricity consumption devices) as data sources for operating coliving,
defined as Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE). The coliving spatial assessment evaluation
framework in Table 23 sets a basis to understanding behavioural performance of spaces and to
making informed decisions towards future sustainable and Human-Centred Design (HCD) of
spaces. Behavioural patterns in space, experience, environmental consumption, and well-being
were assessed.
125
Table 23 POE coliving spatial assessment evaluation framework. The variable name is an acronym of the
“Description” and a subindex that identifies the phase(s). (1C, 2D, 2I, 6C and 0I are the units of spaces analyzed
through the current research). Note: # stands for "number of", % measures the percentage of private spaces left
open against the total number of spaces
Variable Description Unit Evaluation Device SustainabilitySpaces Literature
Indicator Assessed in
the Coliving
VE Entries per coliver # Entries per Ordinal, low, Smart lock Social 1C, 2D, 2I, (Bullee et al.,
occupant medium, high 2018; Canetti
and Krawczyk,
2001; D. Minoli
et al., 2017;
Hernández et
al., 2014)
VH Entry hours in or out Ordinal, out of hours Smart lock Social 1C,
2D, 2I,
0I, 6C
PB Presence (lights) Hours On/Off SEM (Smart Electricity Meter) 6C (Soheilian et
Environmental Financial al., 2021)
ECA Electricity Hours Activity time and SEM Environmental 1C, (Lee et al.,
consumption appliances Financial 2D, 2I, 1995; Parker,
0I, 6C 2002; Thomas
and Duffy,
2013; Zhao et
al., 2017)
RWB Computing Hours Activity time Wi-Fi Social 1C, (de Blasio et
laptop/data 2D, 2I, al., 2017; Gao
0I, 6C and Prasad,
2016; İlçi et al.,
2018;
Konsolakis et
al., 2018; Wang
and Shao, 2018)
Wi-Fi Social (de Blasio et
Smart-locks al., 2017; Gao
and Prasad,
1C,
Cooking/events Activity time, 2016; İlçi et al.,
EB Hours 2D, 2I,
home appliances appliances 2018;
0I, 6C
Konsolakis et
al., 2018; Wang
and Shao, 2018)
126
% Open (Lee et al.,
priv.spaces
1995; Parker,
spaces
2002; Thomas
Tc Level of trust Open/closed Smart-locks Social 1C, 2D, 2I
and Duffy,
2013; Zhao et
al., 2017)
AA After-hours Hours Presence & use of Smart locks-SEM Social 1C, (Lee et al.,
activity appliances/devices 2D, 2I, 1995; Parker,
0I, 6C 2002; Thomas
and Duffy,
2013; Zhao et
al., 2017)
WABC Week vs. weekend Hours Ordinal, not ordinal All Social 1C, All the
2D, 2I, previous
0I, 6C
127
Table 24 Assessment of 10 parameters of the Digital POE Tool by the 3 data sources
Table 24 classifies the 10 different parameters classified by the 3 data collection methods. In
Figure 61, Figure 62 Figure 63, the 4 methodological stages were mapped based on the
available IT infrastructure piloted in the study: (A) Electricity analysis, (B) Access analysis,
(C) Network crosscheck, (D) Spaces profiling study. The mixing methods theory (Jeng, 2019;
Walsh, 2015) was used to combine quantitative and qualitative inputs and was implemented
during phase (D) to generate the SPs.
128
Figure 61 Digital POE Methodology applied for Wi-Fi, Smart locks and Smart Electrical Meters (SEM)
Figure 62 Flow chart describing methodology and the objectives of the study. (author design)
129
Figure 63 Digital POE Tool filtered by the 3 data sources analysed.
The data sample of the coliving spaces were collected during a 31-day period (1 May 2021–1
June 2021). Additional data were collected retroactively for the Electricity analysis for 1 year
(1 June 2020–1 June 2021) in order to demonstrate the applicability of the methodology to
explore and compare the use of spaces across different times and seasons. The data were
extracted, cleaned, processed, and represented the data through PowerBI—a business analytics
platform from Microsoft enabling user friendly visualization and interactions for behavioural
analysis and sustainability decision making.
The subject group of study included the 72 residents of the coliving space with an age range of
25–40 years and coming from multiple nationalities including local Spanish colivers Table 25.
For the current study, full authorization was granted by the residents and the data were treated
in full compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation, (GDPR), being aggregated
and anonymized accordingly to regulations. The analysis was performed in accordance with
the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki.
130
Table 25 Colivers definition
6.2.1 Spatial Definition

The current study analyzed a 3000 m2, Figure 64, coliving residence in Madrid. The building
has been operated as a Coliving by Urban Campus since 2019; the methodology that enabled
the carrying out of remote research developed was fully compliant with regulations and
COVID-19 restrictions in place in May 2021. Four different typologies of spaces in the
Coliving were categorized into Table 4. There were three cluster spaces; a cluster is a shared
flat consisting of individual or double studios with a private bathroom and a shared space with
a shared kitchen and living room. Both the entrance door to the cluster and the door that
separates the common cluster spaces from the private studio had a digital smart lock that
managed entry permissions Table 26. The shared kitchens and living rooms of all the clusters
were open to the entire community from 07:00–23:59 and remain accessible only to cluster
inhabitants during the night.
131
(a)
(b)
132
(c)
Figure 64 Schemes of the different spaces studied: (a) Cluster apartments with studio subdivision 1C, 2I, 2D (b)
Community Coworking space 6C; (c) Gym (0I)
133
Table 26 Physical classification of analyzed spaces. (Size in Net Usable Area NUA). The central cluster is the shared
units that correspond to the central apartments in each floor of the building. The lateral cluster corresponds to the
apartments situated at the left and right of the central apartment of each floor of the building.
Access to All S of the

Space Typology Residents Uses
Colivers
Common Space
6 studios + kitchen/living- 07:00–23:59 floor

2I Lateral Cluster 6 22.88 m2
space residents
Lateral 6 studios + kitchen/living- 07:00–23:59 floor

2D 6 21.15 m2
Cluster space residents
Central 4 studios + Large 07:00–23:59 all

1C 4 62.05 m2
Cluster kitchen/living-space residents
6C =
156
Community Coworking, social area, 07:00–23:59 all
6C, 0I 0 m2 0I
Space gym, terraces residents
= 60
m2
134
6.2.2 Phase A: Electricity Analysis

Smart Electricity Meters (SEM), clamp-connected devices that measure the electricity
consumption per apartment (cluster) and smartly classify the data of different appliances
(Martín-Lopo et al., 2020), were an essential adoption to guiding the transition towards
sustainable use of resources such as water, electricity, and gas in residential spaces (Fettermann
et al., 2021). The innovation of the current research is that the information was collected to
understand behavioural patterns and use of space, not only consumption dynamics. The data
were then stored in a cloud platform designed for the visualization of the electricity
consumption in almost real time. For the study, the data were extracted from the platforms and
filtered by days and clusters selected to the study (I, C, D), community spaces and gym (0I).
Figure 65 shows a representation of the Digital POE Tool analysis of SEM. Figure 65
Figure 65 Digital POE Tool analysis of Smart electricity meter (SEM)
Afterwards, the SEM were trained by the Urban Campus and IT teams to identify the different
domestic appliances according to the SEM patterns for identifying appliances (AirConditioning
(AC), home appliances, lights and plugs). The isolated use of each device and electricity
consumption was collected in real time and transmitted through the Application Programming
Interface (API) during the night.
135
6.2.3 Phase B: Access Analysis

The smart locks (from Salto) were connected to the digital network through Wi-Fi enabling
remote opening of doors and transferring information of door status (open vs. closed) and entry
times in real time and retroactively from the Salto platform. The research analyzed the patterns
of aggregated users’ digital trails and visiting of spaces in the building. The various doors—
building main entrance, access to cluster doors and common spaces doors and individual doors
to private studios—were configured with different accessibility permissions depending on the
use of space and privacy. Central apartments were accessible to all residents (ex: tenant living
in 1I has access to 1C, 2C, 3C, ...), while side apartments were accessible to all residents living
on a floor (tenant living in 1C has access to 1I, 1C and 1D but not 2I or 2D). Table 27 shows
the 3 types of locks and the credentials according to the space works as follows Figure 66
shows a representation of the Digital POE Tool analysis of Smart locks.
Figure 66 Digital POE Tool analysis of Smart locks

Table 27 Categorization of locks according to the typology, location, and access permits.
Typology Location Position Access Permits
Building access lock Building main Open- Everyone

(password and entrance Locked
digital key)
Cluster Cylinder Cluster access I-C- Open- Cluster members 24 h Others
D/R all Coliving Locked 07:00–23:59
136
Private studio Gateway Studio access I-C-D Open- Individual

studios Locked-
Unlocked
The data were downloaded from the Salto platform. The data were presented in
charts that assess the use of space routines; the access analysis method enabled
understanding of the use and entries but not occupancy as it does not provide
information on different members accessing a space at the same time or exit time.
6.2.4 Phase C: Network Cross-Check

The Wi-Fi network connection structure was built using Cloudtrax software. There was one
network, “Service Set Identifier” (SSID) with 1 or 2 Access Point (AP) per cluster space and
per Community space—a total of 20 SSIDs in the building. Data from 5 SSIDs were analyzed
(two Lateral Cluster spaces 2I and 2D, one Central Cluster space 1C and 2 Community Spaces:
1 Community Coworking (6C) and Gym (0I). The location of the APs in this study relied on
original infrastructure and networks available and the places located. Figure 67 shows a
representation of the Digital POE Tool analysis of the Wi-Fi network.
Figure 67 Digital POE Tool analysis of Wi-Fi network
The Wi-Fi network worked as a digital trail of any device that is present in the spaces and is
identified by the APs without the need to be connected to the Wi-Fi. The current method
implied identification of the members of the coliving space and association to the digital
devices they own; each coliver has on average 2–3 devices and is then anonymized and
aggregated according to GDPR laws. Analysis of any device that was not assigned to a person
and mobile in space was eliminated, keeping laptops, tablets, smartphones, and smartwatches.
137
Other devices like Chromecast and SEM were dismissed. The data collected enabled to identify
patterns of use based on traffic data, number of devices connected and routines that served also
as a cross-check for Phase A and Phase B.
6.2.5 Phase D: Space Profiling (SP)

Once the Electricity, Access, and Network analysis were concluded, the Space Profiles (SPs)
were developed. An SP is a dynamic flashcard that integrates the description of spaces together
with inputs from real time use of this space and users’ behaviour obtained through users’ digital
trails collected from the existing built-in IT infrastructure. The process relied on the mixing
methods theory extracted from Phases A, B and C learning to conform the assessment. For the
current case study, 4 SPs were developed: (A) Cluster Central (B) Cluster Lateral and (C)
Community Space profiles. Assigning features and characteristics to the 3 profiles developed
based on the previous phases enabled to understand how Coliving spaces worked. The potential
of the SP was to understand the identity of spaces as an active space, that responds in different
ways depending the user’s needs and its specific design features. This methodology was
tailored to the different spaces and local needs to be able to reproduce the best experience for
colivers, for example reducing electricity consumption and therefore optimizing cost (Jimenez-
Moreno, 2021).
According to Williams (Williams, 2005), interaction between physical, personal and social
factors has an impact on behaviour, that can be used to evaluate the physical profile of shared
housing facilities. The characteristics he identified include size, density, proximity,
surveillance, ratio of private to communal spaces and affordances within each, and non-spatial
factors such as formal and informal social factors.
The SPs were the HCD interpretation of space, adding the analyzed digital trail features to the
traditional spatial space definition and working as an interface between users and spaces. For
example, it is broadly understood that modifying the size of the bed or the capacity of a
wardrobe changes the experience of a space; likewise, interfering with the digital network,
access permissions or AC parameters also alters the experience and behaviour of a coliver.
Residential spaces have become something other than a bed and a kitchen; the digital
dimension and how it shapes users’ performance must be considered when defining spaces
taxonomy.
Following Williams (Williams, 2005), the interaction between users and spaces is needed to
evaluate different typologies of spaces Table 28 in order to have a complete assessment of
138
experience in the space and be able to design future spaces. The SPs represented the standards
to replicate conditions for future spaces; they are also an example of interaction with real
studies to test how modifications or interfering with these spaces modifies behaviour and
likewise interfering with behaviour affects the way spaces are used. Studying these conditions
helped to better understand the community. The definition of SPs for coliving and studying
evolutions was essential to improving sustainable design in the present and future of coliving
spaces.
139
Table 28 Spaces classification according to William’s parameters (Physical parameters). *Studios are private spaces,
1 per Coliving each cluster is connected to 3–6 studios (In Italic to differentiate from the common spaces that will be
measured)
Space Size % of the To- Proximity Ratio

Space Typology (m2) tal Building (Distance to (m2/person) Privacy Level Equipment
Studio)
Lateral Same apartment Semipublic

18– Kitchen + small
Cluster (2I, Cluster 11% (<1 min) 2.38 (Open 07 h-00
22 living space
2D) h)
Central Same apartment Semipublic

55– Living room +
Cluster (1C) Cluster 16% (<1 min) 3.57 (Open 07 h-00
65 Large kitchen
h)
Ground-floor Fitness and

Gym (0I) Community 75 4% 0.89 Public
(<5 min) exercise room
Community Sixth floor Coworking,

Coworking (<5 min) events,
(6C) Community 135 7% 1.61 Public coffee
corner sofa
area, terrace
Studio * Studio 8–18 59% N/A 14.76 Private Bedroom +

Bathroom
140
6.3 Results
6.3.1 Phase A: Electricity Analysis

Four spaces with a total count of 1,047,498 inputs were assessed: 1C (central cluster), 2I, 2D
(lateral clusters) and 6C (community space, coworking and social life). Figure 68 shows the
average electricity consumption per space: a clear difference in trends is highlighted for the
cluster spaces (1C, 2D, 2I). The double peak linear trend showed an increase of the intensity
during lunch and dinner times, particularly high in 1C. The Cluster Central was associated with
having larger common spaces accessible to the whole community; colivers used this space for
shared dinners with other colivers. Instead, the study identified that Community Coworking 6C
showed a very different trend, with a single smooth one-lump shape with a peak at 6 pm that
corresponded to a different use of this space. Figure 69 focused on 6C during the complete year:
the electricity consumption shows a sensible increase from 9:00 to 23:00 in a plateau shape due
to moderate electricity consumption related to use of laptops and lighting during autumn,
winter, and spring seasons. During the summer season, the plateau shape stressed to a peak
shape during the afternoons impacted by the use of air-conditioning (AC) because of the
western orientation of the space that increased the temperature.
Figure 68 Average yearly electricity consumption per cluster (Average Wh/per hour) data records from 1 June 2020 to
1 June 2021. (Visualization Power BI author design, data property of Urban Campus)
141
142
Figure 69 Seasonal electricity consumption. Electricity consumption per month (a) Community Coworking 6C (b) 1C
Cluster Central Space (c) 2D, 2I Cluster lateral spaces in Community Space 6C (Average Wh/per hour) data records
from 1 June 2020 to 1 June 2021. (Visualization Power BI author design, data property of Urban Campus)
Figure 70 compares weekdays to weekend days. Cluster kitchens were being used more during
weekdays than during weekends, especially dinners (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). Lateral
clusters 2D and 2I and the Community Coworking 6C showed the only trend of a later start in
activities from 9 h during the weekdays, up to 13 h during Saturday and Sunday.
143
Figure 70 Average yearly electricity consumption per weekday (Average Wh/per hour) data records from 1 June
2020 to 1 June 2021. Visualization with PowerBI. (a) 1C Central Cluster with common kitchen, (b) 2D & 2I Lateral
Cluster with small kitchen, (c) 6C Community Coworking space.
6.3.2 Phase B: Access Analysis

In total, 75 different doors of the building (75 smart locks) were monitored; the spaces had
different levels of access depending on the time of day Table 26. The data respond to the
different spaces: 1C Central Cluster with common kitchen, 2D & 2I Lateral Cluster with small
kitchen, 6C Community Coworking and the other community spaces were also considered for
this filtering.
Data for 6C (community space for a coworking) were missing for Mondays, Tuesdays and
Wednesday; this is a sample of colivers’ interaction with space as they decided to leave that
door open during the day for its constant use as a coworking and meeting space.
Each coliver visits an average of 3.58 shared spaces (excluding private studios) from the
coliving space, apart from their own studio, with a range that goes from one to eight shared
spaces (median of 3) per coliver. Table 29shows that among all their favorite spaces, the most
visited is the Gym(0I), being used by 68% of the inhabitants. After the gym, the central
apartments (1C) are the most popular, despite hosting 25% of the private studios and colivers,
visited by 67% members. These central apartments with larger kitchens and commons spaces
144
act as a catalyst of communal activities such as dinners, reinforced in the electricity

consumption records.
Table 29 Percentage of colivers visiting the different shared spaces per weekday, “S” is the % of colivers that visited a
space at least once during the sample period. Entrance corresponds to the main gate of the building, therefore 100%
of colivers transit it. Visualization from PowerBI. (The numbers are the ordinal representation of the weekdays 1 =
Monday, 2 Tuesday...). 01.05.2021 to 01.06.2021.
Spaces 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 S
1C 16.7% 26.4% 22.2% 27.8% 25.0% 22.2% 16.7% 43.1%

2D 5.6% 4.2% 5.6% 6.9% 5.6% 6.9% 4.2% 11.1%
2I % 6.9% 6.9% 6.9% 6.9% 6.9% 6.9% 8.3%
6C - - - 1.4% 4.2%% 16.7% 18.1% 27.8%
Entrance 93.1% 93.1% 91.7% 94.4% 90.3% 90.3% 93.1% 100.0%
Gym 40.3% 44.4% 41.7% 44.4% 47.2% 19.4% 27.8% 79.2%
Any space 94.4% 95.8% 94.4% 95.8% 93.1% 91.7% 94.4% 100%
Table 29 shows the entries to the spaces. The number of colivers that share one cluster varies
from 3 to 6. The most popular clusters visited were the central clusters “C” with the larger
kitchens and living spaces. 1C was the most popular space with up to 31 colivers, 43% of the
sample community visiting the space at least once—the average number of colivers that visit
common spaces is 23% (1C, 2D, 2I). Figure 71 shows the habits and patterns of the visits, when
and what are the most visited spaces and the comparison between weekdays when mobility
increases within the Coliving from 8 to 9 am and at 8 pm and especially at the gym(0I) and
weekends when the overall activity decreases and is concentrated opposingly during night
hours and late morning. Table 30
145
(a) (b)
(c) (d)
146
(e)
Figure 71 . (a) Number of visitors per common space weekdays. (b) Visiting routines weekdays. (c) Number of visitors
per common space weekends (d) Visiting routines weekends. (e) Visiting routines of the gym. (TAG is every entry by a
coliver) from 01.05.2021 to 01.06.2021. Visualization from PowerBI.
Table 30 Number of colivers visiting each space from 01.05.2021 to 01.06.2021. Visualization from PowerBI.
Space Gym 1C 4C 5C 3C 6C 4D 1D 2C 3D 2D 1I 6I 2I 3I 6D Average
Visitor count 57 31 25 21 20 20 12 10 10 9 8 7 7 6 5 3 16,6

(%) from 79 43 35 29 28 28 17 14 14 13 11 10 10 8 7 4 23
total
6.3.3 Phase C: Network Cross-Check

The Wi-Fi had the advantage of seamlessly capturing data visualization of the colivers mobile
devices (laptop, mobile phone, tablet, watch) in each space, enabling the identification of
different behavioural routines depending on the space. Figure 73 represents the devices seen
per space and per hour as a daily average of the month. (a) shows the profile of all the spaces
analyzed, (b) focused on the gym, with peak on activity at 1 pm and another peak the afternoon
and evening during the weekdays (the night connections were also linked to the use of the
common spaces next to the gym that had the Gym SSID as the closest network, highlighted by
colivers, and cross-checked by the Access Analysis). (c) the Community Coworking area and
events show a distributed activity starting at 12 pm until night in office working areas and
dinner time more frequent during weekdays, but both charts were very different to (d) Cluster
spaces 2I, 2D and 2I that all perform at low intensity during the day but peak between 9 pm
and 11 pm during the weekdays, dinner and after dinner time, when colivers that are regularly
active in their private spaces or common cluster spaces—this input is essential for the spaces
147
profiling as it identifies the spaces clearly by the behaviour within them. During the weekends,
similarly to the access controls, there was considerably less use of internet and movement
within the areas; 50% of connections in the coworking space 6C and even less in the Gym and
surroundings and in the private spaces.
6.3.4 Phase D: Space Profiling

After concluding Phases A, B and C, the indicators of Table 23 were crosschecked with the
space classification Table 28 and synthetized it to develop the SPs. The corresponding author
developed the first SP and the co-authors, technology, head of local operations, IT expert, Chief
of Operations and Head of Innovation reviewed and complemented the information. It was an
iterative process complemented by adding details and helped understanding of the profiling
Figure 73.
148
Figure 72 The graphs represent the daily average total devices seen by the APs per hour in the different spaces. (a)
Average daily total devices seen per AP. (b) Total devices seen at the gym (0I) per hour, (c) Total devices seen at the
Community space Coworking and events (6C) per hour, (d) Total devices seen in the different cluster spaces (2D, 2I,
2I) per hour, Count of De... (Count of Device). From 01.05.2021 to 01.06. 2021.Visualization developed with Power
BI.
149
A) Central Cluster (1C)

Spatial characteristics: Shared spaces with large kitchen and living space.
Frequency: 1 per floor
Studios: 4 studios
Functionality: Living use with private studios and shared spaces
Network: Active use of network during the evenings by members of the cluster
Access and privacy: Gathering space visited by 43% of the community during the month.
Visiting times, Weekends, more emphasized in the mornings
Electricity consumption: Increased consumption during lunchtime and dinners, particularly due to kitchen
appliances, showing a pattern of shared dinners among the inhabitants of the same cluster and other clusters
Considerations for optimization:
The Central Cluster spaces are essential for
fostering informal communication and community
gatherings across clusters, promoting their use for
shared lunches and dinners by providing
appropriate furniture and appliances. As they are the
most used among the colivers, electricity saving
appliances must be included and have the electricity
power contracted to a variable rate adjusted to the
consumption patterns//Provide good acoustic
insulation between shared cluster space and studios
in this cluster due to frequent social gatherings//Advice colivers the central clusters are more social and
active, preferably for active users likely to engage in social gatherings.
B) Lateral Cluster (2D,2I)

Spatial characteristics: Shared spaces with small kitchen.
Frequency: 2 lateral cluster per floor
Studios: 3–6 studios
Functionality: Living use with private studios and floor shared spaces
Network: Active use of network during the evenings by members of the cluster
Access and privacy: Gathering spaces visited by 8,33% (2I) -11,11% (2D) of the community. Across the day
weekends and mainly during the mornings during the week.
Electricity consumption: Increased consumption during lunchtime and dinners, particularly due to kitchen
appliances.
150
The Lateral Cluster spaces are more optimized for supplying support space
for private studios. Basic kitchen for quick and efficient breakfast lunch and
dinner and discrete and silent spaces for colivers that want to live in
independent spaces and chose when to gather with the rest of the
community visiting other spaces//Appropriated for independent colivers
less likely to look for frequent community gatherings.
C) Community Spaces (6C,0I)
Spatial characteristics: Shared spaces open to the entire community, without associated studios and with a
functionality different than traditional residential spaces.
Frequency: 1 Coworking per building 1 Gym per building
Functionality: Gym / coworking / event spaces / playground / terraces
Network: "Differs between spaces, should be tailored to each community space". Active use of network
during the day for working and exercising and gathering during the night
Access and privacy: Design access and permits according to each space and COVID-19 (restrictions if
applicable). Recommendation to maintain frequently used spaces like coworking without a lock. Shared
spaces visited by upt to 79% of the colivers (gym)
Electricity consumption: AC has a big impact on electricity consumption in the spaces (6C)
151
Community spaces are the core gathering spaces of the
Coliving. Monitor occupancy patterns, regulations and
capacity of this spaces. Install booking systems or informative
boards in those that require strict capacity regulations to ensure
comfort and comply with regulations such as COVID-19, like
coworking (6C) or gym (0I). In spaces more vulnerable to
extreme temperature (6C) automatic windows and AC system
to ensure climate comfort, review the design of terraces and
building envelop design to reduce temperature variation //
Ensure envelope acoustic insulation and impact sound
insulation at (6C, above cluster spaces) for
social gatherings to avoid interfering with
neighbourhood // As these spaces are used by a
large volume of colivers at the same time,
ensure there is a clear understanding of the use
of spaces and their functionality, implement
coexistence guides to be designed and
respected by the community
Figure 73 Space profiles (SPs). (A) Central Cluster (1C). (B) Lateral Cluster (2D, 2I). (C) Community Spaces (6C, 0I).
6.4 Discussion
As buildings are made smarter, AECD practitioners must integrate the latest technologies to
adapt to a rapidly changing society and respond to sustainable HCD spaces (Agee et al., 2021).
The seamless Post-Occupancy Framework enabled to create a methodology to monitor and
adapt the space to user needs over time. It is important to note that the SPs were not an objective
itself, but a dynamic, interactive flashcard that provided inputs from the use of spaces. They
are a means of dialogue between users and AECD practitioners to improve space design, iterate,
modify physical characteristics of space, and analyse how it affected to colivers routines and
the use of spaces through the digital trail of the users.
The SPs are therefore scalable and can be implemented globally, adapting to different buildings,
locations and taking into consideration the different restrictions or regulations such as the
COVID-19 restrictions in place during the time of study. The SPs are a powerful iterative,
spatial tool to interact with residents use of space, and behavioural patterns to improve future
design, optimize spaces and assess comfort and wellbeing.
152
Central Cluster spaces are visited by 14%–43%, an average of 29.7% (21.2 colivers), and the
largest electricity consumption and visits are within weekdays at lunch and dinner hours,
whereas the Lateral Clusters are visited by only 4%–17% of the community which meant an
average of 10.3% (7.4 visitors from other clusters) and has a high consumption of internet at
21–00 h, mostly individual connections inside the private studios. Community Spaces like the
gym had a visitor rate of up to 79% and coworking was preferred to be open without restricted
access during the day.
Cluster spaces had a higher electricity consumption rate during lunchtime and dinner time
mainly due to intensive use of appliances; community spaces like coworking spaces intensified
electricity consumption gradually during the afternoon due to AC during the summer months—
the rest of the months they encountered a plateau-shaped stable consumption trend. Central
Cluster spaces acted as catalysers of community, colivers visited an average of three to four
common spaces, Central Clusters being frequented more by external visitors.
Our consultations with colivers were also essential to complementing and understanding their
choices as key to HCD. Interviews and codesign to improve SPs is always recommended as a
future line of research. For example, after identifying the electricity patterns and consumption
habits of users, the results of the current research recommended modifying the electricity
contract to be adjusted to match the peak hours of consumption of the Coliving in order to
match their habits. In addition, other measures were suggested to improve wellbeing and use
of spaces. Feedback also showed that colivers had a significant interest in the following:
understanding building and performance, environmental sustainability, knowing how to
improve performance and suggested visualization measures to reduce environmental impact.
This interaction helped not only to improve the performance of current spaces but also to
collaborate for a more conscious future society.
The use of space routine also differs depending on the day of the week: at weekends, the
number of in-house common dinners was significantly reduced and mobility within the
Coliving decreased and shifted towards late mornings and night-time rather than during the
week when it is distributed more evenly along the day.
Colivers also showed different habits and patterns of use of space: more social colivers visit up
to eight spaces apart from their private studios on average, others just one or two. After the
study the Central Cluster spaces were recommended to colivers more interested in networking
and community interaction and Lateral Clusters to others looking for more independence.
153
6.5 Conclusions chapter VI
The current research demonstrated how POE techniques based on the digital trail can be
employed to design a methodology, Digital POE Methodology and Digital POE Tool, Figure
74, for sustainable HCD Coliving spaces.
Figure 74 Digital POE Tool application of Wi-Fi, Smart locks and Smart electrical meter (SEM)
The infrastructure available in highly digitalized IOT-based buildings, like colivings, has
proven to be a valuable resource to assess performance of spaces and behavioural patterns
based on the already existing IT devices, without the need to install additional sensors,
regarding the expected learnings. Table 31
154
Table 31 Comparison of Digital POE Tool methodology outputs by applying the 3 data sources. Smart locks, Wi-fi
and Smart electricity Meters (SEM)
The three SPs showed major differences in the use of spaces and enabled a comparative
analysis of the use of spaces. The different data sources provided inputs to enable identification
of the level of occupancy of the different spaces, average number of visitors and overall
popularity of the spaces, differentiating between most occupied spaces and less occupied.
Data sources also provided insights into electricity consumption and activities implemented in
each space according to data consumption patterns.
A home is not a roof—walls and doors are physical divisions of space. This case study proved
buildings go beyond the physical skeleton and shell, and strongly rely on digital networks and
experience. The developed methodology and the use of SPs was essential for sustainable HCD
interpretation of buildings to assess not only the behavioural patterns of the users but also the
interaction of the building with the environment.
155
156
CHAPTER VII ANALYSIS AND
INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS
The following chapter details the analysis and interpretation of the results
157
158
7.1 Digital POE Methodology. Digital Maturity Indexes
The application of the Digital POE Tool methodology enables to compare the process of
application between both case studies according to the available data sources and the
information obtained.
Some relevant differences were identified during the application phase if comparing the
process and the possibilities that both spaces show the Digital Maturity Indexes shows as
follows.
The Wi-Fi digital data source is common to both case studies. The Wi-Fi provides data to most
of the parameters in terms of spatial performance and occupancy. The coliving has 2 additional
digital data sources installed. The SEM provides additional data regarding electricity
consumption and the smart lock provides information on presence, occupancy of space and
reiteration. The comparison of the following activities executed during the analysis enabled to
generate to indexes. The Digital Maturity of the building index and the Digital Maturity
assessment index Table 32.
Table 32 Description of activities for the experiment development
7.1.1 Digital maturity of the building

The Digital Maturity Building Index classifies the building or space regarding the number of
Digital Data sources available in the building from 0-8 that are the identified data sources.
Table 33
159
Table 33 Digital Maturity of the building Index
The Flexible workplace, has, therefore a low level of digital maturity, counting only with 1
data source (Wi-Fi). Whereas the Coliving space has a medium level of Digital Maturity
counting with 3 data sources (Wi-Fi, SEM and Smart locks). Furthermore, the Coliving space
assessment was performed fully online, enabling 100% remote assessment.
A higher level of digital maturity of the building can be achieved by incorporating more data
sources or more advanced data sources to the building that can also provide information in
other parameters.
7.1.2 The digital maturity assessment

The Digital Maturity Assessment Index classifies the POE assessment regarding the level of
digitalisation of the ETL process in place and the final output and visualization of the process.
The Flexible Workplace assessment is highly digitalised, BICG counted with a full in-house
development team that developed Di-Dy a customized platform that extracted the data,
processed it, and visualized it in the same platform. The process was designed by an IT team
that tailored the extraction, storage, processing, algorithm design, accuracy and KPIs.
Therefore, the level of digitalization of the process was high. For the current case study, the
data extraction relied on Di-Dy extraction machines and expertise. The assessment of the
spaces and future evaluation of this case study was done by the researched in a future stage.
The spatial definition in DARs is also developed tailored for the current spatial analysis and
adapted to the Wi-Fi data source and the spatial assessment. Table 34
Table 34 Digital Maturity of the assessment Index
The Coliving case study, comparatively has a lower level of digitalisation and automation,
which difficult the scalability and analysis of large amounts of data as well as the accuracy of
the Wi-Fi analysis. There was no digital team collaborating to the current case study, and the
data was extracted, stored, and processed relying on market tools and platforms such as Excel
and Power BI. Nevertheless, the data sources available had APIs to extract the data and do a
160
first cleaning, processing, and storage to save it in their internal platforms. This enabled the
research an intermediate level of digitalisation. An upgrade to the current case study by
incorporating technicians to the process could enable a high level of digital analysis.
As a conclusion. Both case studies showed a certain degree of digitalisation in both the Digital
Building Maturity Index and Digital Assessment Maturity Index, enabling the application of
the Digital POE Methodology and Tool. The Index identify that in both cases there is room for
improvement and achieving more digitally mature buildings and assessment by incorporating
data sources to the spaces, and in the case of the Coliving developing a customized in-house
ETL process.
7.2 Spatial analysis
The research identifies there is a need to define and categorised the spaces to be assessed
according to the objectives of study, the data sources available and the level of accuracy
required.
Some digital data sources will provide information transversally to all the spaces, such is the
case of the Wi-Fi, Smart locks or depends on the system the Air quality system (AQS) whilst
others will depend on the place or device, they are installed at for example the energy or water
consumption meters. Those that are transversal are as well more scalable, as they can assess
more spaces, to other spaces and buildings and have a broader scope of intervention. Figure 75.
Figure 75 Classification data sources and parameters related to the scope of the analysis and the scalability
Some data sources like the Wi-Fi might need of a digital definition of spatial limits like the
DARs created by BICG to define the spaces. The accuracy, material definition and algorithms
for data classification when using Wi-Fi as digital will have to be defined according to the level
of accuracy requested. Both case studies differ in the definition of spaces in relation to the
objective of study.
161
7.4.1 Case study 1: Flexible workplace Table 35

The workplace is an activity-based office. The DARs were created to generate digital
boundaries of the spaces that could be assessed by the Wi-Fi analysis and the algorithms
designed by BICG.
Table 35 Flexible Workplace categorization of spaces per typology, naming of spaces and capacity
7.4.1 Case study 2: Coliving Table 36

The coliving is a refurbishment of a traditional residential building. The spatial definition is
related to the traditional apartment division (division horizontal of the building) and according
to the accuracy of the assessment methodologies.
• Wi-Fi (SSDN) networks are linked to the clusters that correspond to the original
apartments
162
• SEM: There is one SEM per cluster, or traditional apartment

• Digital Lock: One access key per door, corresponding to the clusters and studios
Table 36 Coliving categorization of spaces per typology, naming of spaces and capacity.
7.3 Parameters assessment
The Digital POE Methodology enabled the categorisation of the different parameters to be
assessed and the comparison of the assessment of both spaces according to the available data
sources is reflected in Table 37. The Wi-Fi provides data to the most variables in terms of
163
spatial performance and occupancy. SEM provides additional data regarding electricity
consumption.
The different parameters where classified and incorporated to the Digital POE Tool. A higher
level of digital maturity of the building will include incorporating other data sources.
164
Table 37 Categorization of the different assessment parameters. Available data sources per space (both digital and
analogical) correlated to the assessment parameters they provide information on
165
The following results are structured according to the results in each of the parameters
developed in the Digital POE Tool.
7.3.1 Parameters: Presence results Table 38

An accurate assessment of presence in the different spaces was obtained for both case
studies Flexible Workplace and Coliving by applying the Digital POE Methodology. Some
of the metrics and charts developed for the assessment include the following.
• The different data collection methods provide insights on presence.
• The Wi-Fi location methods enable the full-time collection and storage of data in a
nonintrusive way and retroactively. Only Wi-Fi and digital locks assign the presence to
the actual member (because they are tagged to the user) enable to understand choice of
space patterns and preference of space.
• Flexible Workplace ETL automated process enabled more accuracy of the data
processing
• Longer enabled a longer understanding of patterns of usage and presence.
Table 38 Presence per DAR (quantitative manual data). Numbers indicate the number of employees present at each
spaces per hour. Dark colours highlight the areas with more users present at a time
166
Presence per DAR (quantitative manual data). Numbers indicate the number of employees
present at each space per hour. Dark colours highlight the areas with more users present at a
time.
Figure 76 Visitors per space: weekday/weekend. 01.05.2021 to 01.06.2021. Visualization from

PowerBI. (Data property of Urban Campus)
7.3.2 Parameters: Occupancy results

An accurate assessment of the occupancy in the different spaces was obtained for both case
studies Flexible Workplace and Coliving by applying the Digital POE Methodology. Some
of the metrics and charts developed for the assessment include the following Figure 77.
• The different data collection methods (but electricity data) provide insights on presence.
• Capacity assessment of spaces enables measuring occupancy.
• Smart locks do not measure occupancy (people can enter together)
• The workplace enabled a deeper analysis of occupancy due to tailored algorithm deign
167
168
Figure 77 Several parameters visualization
7.3.3 Parameters: Duration of Stay results

The duration of stay requires identification of the users of each space. Therefore, it was
processed in the flexible workplace assessment, in the Coliving analysis this parameter was not
assessed.
• As the assessment of duration of stay data requires identifying who is occupying each
space at each moment of time, it was only enabled by QMs and QD (Wi-Fi). Figure 78
shows the average timespan of the users per DAR. Timespans demonstrate the purpose
and use of space.
• Workspaces are designed for longer timespans whereas informal areas are designed for
shorter timespans or occasional interactions. Data are filtered by eliminating any stays
169
shorter than 10 min. Although QD could accurately register stays shorter than 10 min,
both QM studies could not. QMv could only register stays every 30 min during each
walkthrough, and for QMs the employees would forget to register their short stays for
coffees or chats as they were focused on their daily tasks.
• To ensure accuracy and eliminate randomization the minimum stay registered was 10
min; this was communicated to employees for the QMs, and data for short stays were
erased from the study for QD.
Figure 78 Average stay per DAR. (developed by the author)
7.3.4 Parameters: Reiteration results

The reiteration parameter assessed the frequency of users visiting the same spaces over the
time. Two different KPIs were analysed for both case studies the parameter enabled the
assessment of popularity of spaces, the spaces that were more visited among the employees the
coliving spaces compared the different spaces what where the most visited common spaces in
the area and what how many different spaces were visited by the users. This assessment enables
to understand what spaces are appreciated by the different users and which ones are less likely
to be occupied. Figure 79.
Case study 1: Flexible Workplace.

The interest relied on the popularity of spaces, what spaces were visited
170
Figure 79 Space popularity graph (each colour represents an anonymized employee) (author design)

The following analysis chart represented the number of spaces by typology visited by the
different users, Figure 80 Cluster commons are largely visited by different users while lateral
clusters are not that popular colivers only visit 1 or 2 of the 11 lateral clusters available.
Whereas they can go up to 5 central cluster of the 5 total ones. Figure 76 also showed the most
popular spaces visited by the colivers. The gym, followed by the central common spaces are
the most common space to gather.
171
Figure 80 Smart lock number of different spaces visited by the users
7.3.5 Parameters: Proximity of users results

Proximity between users was only assessed in the Workplace case study. The following
metrics analyzed different visuals and patterns to assess the proximity between employees
of the same department at the workplace spaces.
• Workplace pilot study enables to identify what are the users or the teams’ preferences
by understanding the ones they chose the most shows connections between departments,
which departments were sharing the space and with what teams. For example, Dept 3
was having the most connections with the other department whereas Dept 4 was mostly
behaving as a silo, having very few interactions and mostly within their team. Table 39
• A next step would be to understand the relationship between teams, Figure 81, to
understand if the employees follow patterns of choice of space or patterns of choice
ruled by where other people
172
Table 39 Design team presence per DAR. Numbers indicate the number of employees from design team present at
each spaces per hour. Dark colors highlight the areas with more users present at a time. (author design) Data
property of BICG
Figure 81 Shared space Sankey diagram. Connections between departments through shared space. (Measured by %
of time shared with others)
173
7.3.6 Parameters: Electricity assessment

Smart electrical meter (SEM) was only installed in the Coliving space. Therefore,
Electricity assessment was only performed in the Coliving space. The following metrics
analyzed different visuals and patterns to assess the electricity consumption of colivers.
Comparing the different spaces, the consumption per unit and per person and consumption
patterns and habits according to the typology of spaces, location in the building and season
of the year. Future steps could use the SEM calibration per device to obtain further details
on living routines and other information Table 40 Figure 82
Table 40 Electricity consumption metrics, per cluster and per person
174
Figure 82 Energy consumption metrics (Data property of Urban Campus)
7.4 Visualization platforms
As important as the data analysis process is the visualization methodology. Visualization is

essential to both interpret results, enable decision making and iterate and assess trends and
evolution over time. Both case studies had a different approach to visualization methodologies.
• Visualization tool or platform is essential to enable interaction with the parameters and
understanding the operative system of the tool
175
• Flexible workplace: BICG develop its own internal in-house platform and assessment
tool. Di-Dy Figure 83, customized to the needs and tailored to the ETL extraction
process.
• The Coliving space analysis relied in PowerBI a business analytics tool that enables
easy data analysis to non-technical users. Figure 84
• Both assessments were based on a series of interactive dashboards that enabled
understanding of parameters, creating different KPIs and comparing trends during the
period of study
176
Di-Dy dashboard (property of BICG)
Figure 83 Di-Dy dashboard (property of BICG)
177
Power BI dashboard (Data managed by Urban Campus)
Figure 84 Data visualization platforms. visualization dashboard for Urban Campus data analysis.
178
7.5 Spatial feedback / Spatial profiles
The assessment of spaces is more complete when it incorporates spatial description,

digital trail assessment and feedback from users. Table 41
• Flexible workplace classified the spaces by positive performance or negative
performance including employees’ feedback.
• Coliving spaces developed the Space profiles to process and interpret spatial
analysis and spatial performance.
• Space profiles, Figure 85, were designed to enables AECD practitioners to have
feedback on the use of each space and enable the iteration of design and
modification of spaces.
Table 41 Spatial feedback. Assessment of each space incorporating the learnings from applying the Digital POE
Methodology. Flexible Workplaces
179
Figure 85 Space profiles. Assessment flashcards from the Coliving spaces that integrated the spatial definition of spaces
with the from applying the Digital POE Methodology. Flexible Workplaces. To be used as an interaction method and
resource for iteration of spatial design by AECD practitioners.
180
FINAL CONCLUSIONS
181
182
The developed tool is in service of architects to quantify the possibilities of use, dimensioning,
occupation and use relations of people in spaces. The conclusions are structured in 3 groups:
A. The Digital POE Tool
B. The methodology for POE evaluation
C. The data sources and parameters
A. Digital POE Tool: Open and dynamic tool and methodology for spatial performance
assessment
• The research demonstrates that it is possible to obtain information from buildings, based
on their existing technological infrastructure, to improve their future design.
• The Digital POE Tool enables to assess the digital maturity of the IT building
infrastructure, and the digital maturity of the data analysis ETL process relying only on
the devices already installed in the building and the needed and possible mechanisms
of data analysis.
• The Digital POE Tool is open, scalable, and flexible. It can incorporate additional data
sources that will be created in the future, enabling updates and validating its continuity
in time and incorporating digital progress of technology.
183
B. Methodology for Digital Post Occupancy Evaluation assessment

! Scalability ! Data sources
Pillars
!
! ETL*
! Parameters
! Periodicity ! GDPR
! Visualization
• Data sources of in-built infrastructure provide unprecedent knowledge on experiential

use of spaces, environmental performance, and operations. From occupancy to
behavioral analysis. Enabling optimization of spaces, understanding users behavior and
relationships that shape real time use of spaces.
• The Digital POE Methodology develops an analysis framework to carry out POE
studies. This tool, called Digital POE Tool, develops a methodological analysis for
strategies to solve such problems.
• Applying the methodology enables Architects, Engineers, Construction and Design
(AECD) practitioners to identify the outperforming spaces and the gaps of
improvement based on the real use of spaces and the objective of the space. It also
enables real time analysis of human interaction with spaces and relationship in spaces.
• The learnings from applying Digital POE Tool redefine Human Centred approach to
spatial design, enabling real time interaction, learning and continuous improvement of
spaces.
184
C. 8 data sources, 10 parameters

The tool identifies 8 data sources, 10 parameters and 3 research pillars (user experience,
operations and health and well-being) to perform a data-driven POE analysis in buildings.
• - The 8 data sources identified are: Wi-FI network, Smart lock, Video surveillance
system, Sound Level Meter (SLM), Smart water meter (SWM), Smart electricity meter
(SEM), Lux Meter (LM) and Air Quality System, new technologies can be integrated
in the tool.
• - The 10 multidisciplinary parameters identified are: Presence, occupancy, duration of
stay, repetition, proximity between users, mood, electricity consumption, air quality,
water quality and lighting.
• Buildings with a minimum of 1 data source that responds to 1 or several parameters
enable to perform a data-based analysis of the building based on the addressable
parameters by applying the methodology and the Digital POE Tool. The more data
sources available in the building the more digitally mature the building will be and the
assessment will gain in accuracy.
• The Coliving space, Urban Campus coliving, accounts with 3 data sources (Wi-Fi,
Smart locks and Smart Electricity Meter SEM) to provide information on 6 parameters
(presence, occupancy, duration of stay, reiteration, proximity between users, electricity
consumption).
• The flexible working space "Business Innovation Consulting Group" (BICG) case
study demonstrates how 1 parameter, Wi-Fi provides information on 5 parameters
(presence, occupancy, duration of stay, reiteration, and proximity between) and shows
how digital trail adds value to POE of occupancy and user behaviour in spaces
compared to traditional analogical assessment techniques.
• Transversal learnings from data analysis also provided additional knowledge tailored
to each case of study. In the coliving data analysis also enables to understand
community behaviour, level of trust, daily routines, colivers churn rate and dynamics
and pre-during and post COVID19 changes in behaviour. In the open workplace ,
information on the relevance of biophilic design in the workplace, employee
camaraderie, importance of furniture selection and relationship between employees and
level of engagement of employees.
185
186
CONCLUSIONES FINALES (SPANISH)
La herramienta desarrollada está a disposición de los arquitectos para cuantificar las

posibilidades de uso, dimensionamiento, ocupación y relaciones de uso de las personas en los
espacios. Las conclusiones se estructuran en 3 grupos:
A. La herramienta Digital POE Tool
B. La metodología para la evaluación POE
C. Las fuentes de datos y parámetros
A. Herramienta Digital POE: Herramienta abierta y dinámica para la evaluación del
rendimiento espacial
• La investigación demuestra que es posible obtener información de los edificios,

basándonos en su infraestructura tecnológica existente para mejorar su diseño.
• La herramienta Digital POE Tool permite evaluar la madurez digital de la
infraestructura informática del edificio, y la madurez digital del proceso "Extraction,
Transformation and Loading" (ETL) de análisis de datos basándose únicamente en los
dispositivos ya instalados en el edificio y en los mecanismos necesarios y disponibles
de análisis de datos.
• La herramienta Digital POE Tool proporciona un valor añadido basado en el uso real
del espacio y proporciona información para la evaluación espacial y el diseño futuro de
los espacios. Es escalable y flexible, permitiendo fuentes de datos y parámetros
adicionales y evaluando diferentes tipologías de edificios.
187
B. Metodología para la evaluación digital posterior a la ocupación (POE)

! Scalability ! Data sources
Pillars
!
! ETL*
! Parameters
! Periodicity ! GDPR
! Visualization
.
• Las fuentes de datos existentes en el edificio proporcionan conocimientos sin
precedentes sobre el uso experimental de los espacios, el confort y las operaciones. De
la ocupación al análisis del comportamiento. Permite optimizar los espacios,
comprender el comportamiento de los usuarios y las relaciones entre personas que
definen el uso de los espacios en tiempo real.
• Los espacios flexibles (oficinas flexibles y Coliving) requieren del análisis de datos
referentes a la ocupación, consumo y uso entre otros para evaluar los patrones de
ocupación, uso y funcionamiento de los espacios de manera fiable. La metodología
"Digital POE" desarrolla un marco de análisis para llevar a cabo estudios POE . Esta
herramienta denominada "Digital POE Tool", desarrolla un análisis metodológico para
estrategias que resuelven dicha problemática.
• La aplicación de la metodología de la herramienta "Digital POE Tool" permite
identificar los espacios con mejor rendimiento y los partes del análisis donde cabe la
posibilidad de mejora en función del uso real de los mismos y del objetivo del espacio.
• La incorporación del análisis del huella digital permite una evaluación de estos espacios
con el fin de optimizar el diseño de espacios futuros para espacios de oficina y coliving
C. 8 fuentes de datos, 10 parámetros
188
• La herramienta "Digital POE Tool" identifica 8 fuentes de datos, 10 parámetros y

basados en 3 pilares de investigación (experiencia de usuario, operaciones y salud y
bienestar) para realizar un análisis de "Extraction, Transfortmation and Loading" (ETL)
basado en datos en los edificios.
• Las 8 fuentes de datos identificadas son: Red Wi-FI, Smart lock, Video surveillance
system, Sound Level Meter (SLM), Smart water meter (SWM), Smart electricity meter
(SEM), Lux Meter (LM) y Air Quality System
• Los 10 parámetros identificados son: Presencia, ocupación, duración de la estancia,
reiteración, proximidad entre usuarios, estado de ánimo, consumo de electricidad,
calidad del aire, calidad del agua e iluminación
• Los edificios con un mínimo de 1 fuente de datos que responda a 1 o varios parámetros
permiten realizar un análisis del edificio basado en datos a partir de los parámetros
abordables aplicando la metodología y la herramienta. Cuantas más fuentes de datos
estén instaladas, más madurez digital tiene el edificio y la evaluación ganará en alcance,
por tanto se obtendrá un espacio más optimizado
• La oficina flexible de "Business Innovation Consulting Group" (BICG), caso estudio 1,
demuestra cómo 1 parámetro, el Wi-Fi, proporciona información sobre 5 parámetros
(presencia, ocupación, duración de la estancia, reiteración y proximidad entre usuarios)
y muestra cómo el rastro digital añade valor al POE de la ocupación y el
comportamiento de los usuarios en los espacios en comparación con las técnicas
tradicionales de evaluación analógica.
• El espacio de Coliving de Urban Campus, caso estudio 2, cuenta con 3 fuentes de datos
(Wi-Fi, cerraduras inteligentes y contador de energía inteligente SEM) para
proporcionar información sobre 6 parámetros (presencia, ocupación, duración de la
estancia, reiteración, proximidad entre usuarios y consumo de energía).
• El aprendizaje transversal del análisis de datos realizado proporciona información
adicional específica de cada espacio y esencial para la toma de decisiones en ambas
compañías. En el caso del coliving, el análisis de datos permite comprender el las
relaciones entre miembros de la comunidad, el nivel de confianza, las rutinas diarias, la
rotación y los factores que la determinan y la dinámica de los colivers y los cambios de
comportamiento antes y después de la COVID19. En la oficina, obtenemos datos sobre
la relevancia del diseño biofílico en el lugar de trabajo, la camaradería de los empleados,
la importancia de la selección del mobiliario y la relación entre los empleados y factores
relacionados con el nivel de compromiso.
189
FUTURE LINES OF RESEARCH
This Doctoral Thesis opens a new line of research, that focuses on the digital approach to POE
of flexible spaces. It demonstrates how thanks to the current level of digitalization of spaces, it
is possible to implement a human-centred and sustainability-based design of spaces, that
prioritises experience, optimization and wellbeing and comfort. Until the current research this
was an overall target of spatial design but there was a lack of tools to measure and assess the
available infrastructure, data sources, parameters and objectives specially during the use phase.
The Methodological Tool (Digital POE Tool) that is developed in this Thesis enables a holistic
understanding that responds to this need. The implementation of the tool through 2 case studies
of spaces in continues evolution and change also returns lessons learnt and future lines of
research to continue optimizing the tool and iterating the design to evolve into more advanced
buildings and constructions.
The following are some of the future lines of research:
Global benchmark:
Applying the Digital POE Tool to different architectural typologies will enable to create a
global catalogue (building performance data base), compilation of buildings and parameters to
compare and set trends and statistics on buildings evolution, performance and trends based on
analysing the usage stage.
Digital application (Digital App)

An important future line of research is to build a digital platform that integrates the Digital
POE Tool enabling to replicate and deploy remotely the spatial analysis following the
developed methodology. The app or platform would work as a dynamic and open online tool
that could evolve and incorporate new functions and uses. Among others the app will promote
the future lines of research
• Buildings sample: The case studies used as a demo consist of pilot experiments. A
next phase would be to extend the analysis to a wider study, including other variables
such as different locations. This will allow to escalate the tool adding a phase beyond
190
the pilot experiment. To be able to analyse the comparison between buildings not only
regarding the different typologies but also the geographical, cultural, and economic
background of the locations. For example, a flexible office in Sao Paulo and in Madrid
might have different insights and performance but would also require of other data
sources to enable a deeper comparative analysis, such as public urban data sources and
climatic or politic data information to understand and enable an analysis that excels the
inner space of the building, but also provides insights of the space in a geographical
perspective.
• Outdoor spaces: It also enables to incorporate other spaces rather than buildings,
outdoor spaces, public spaces and their corresponding data sources…
• Data Sources: Because it is an open and dynamic tool it would enable to incorporate
other data sources to the study. The incorporation of other data sources to the analysis
will enrich the overall assessment of spaces, the broader and more variated the data
sources and devices that people connect to incorporate information, the wider the
analysis aiming to target different perspectives of analysis based on the data collected.
The world of data analytics is in continuous evolution, the dynamic tool would enable
incorporating as well progresses in this field and avoiding becoming obsolete.
• Data segregation: Another future line of study will be to classify data according to
profiles (socio-economic info). An anthropocentric analysis into user behaviour based
on data segregation by different parameters of gender, age, socioeconomic
characteristics, and others is an interesting future line of research with a sociologic
background.
Business case
Financial analysis, quantify the performance improvements and economic return of applying
the Digital POE Tool to understand savings related to these improvements. The possibilities of
optimization and the economic balance, after iterating with the tool, in terms of construction
cost, operations and maintenance.
Modelling of spaces
- Modelling of spaces: Another next step is to correlate the tool with a building that has a
Digital Twin developed ( a Digital Twin is an up-to-date replica of a physical asset or set of
assets). Bringing together this design, construction, and real-time operational data from the
191
Digital Twin with the Digital POE Tool assessment data would enrich the scope of the Digital
twins to simulate, predict, and inform decisions.
Another line of investigation is to plan a building IT infrastructure upfront during the building
design phase. Planning the location of the data sources and installing all the necessary ones for
its future POE assessment would enable an improvement of the future design of the IT
infrastructure of buildings and a considerably better digital trail assessment.
192
193
INDEX OF TABLES
TABLE 1 THESIS METHODOLOGICAL TIMELINE (AUTHOR DESIGN) 23
TABLE 2 OFFICE SPACE CLASSIFICATION TABLE. ALL AREAS OF THE ABO ARE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO THE
ACTIVITY THAT IT HAS BEEN DESIGNED FOR, THE SUBCATEGORY WITHIN THE MAIN FUNCTION AND A
DETAILED DESCRIPTION. DATA PROPERTY OF BICG. (AUTHOR DESIGN) 71
TABLE 3 THE TABLE CATEGORIZES ALL THE SPOTS AVAILABLE AT THE FLEXIBLE OFFICE SPACE. EACH IS
IDENTIFIED BY A CODE THAT INDICATES THE FLOOR AND TYPOLOGY OF SPACE. 0-K, EACH AREA HAS A
CATEGORY AND A TYPOLOGY OF SPACE WITHIN THE CATEGORY AND ASSIGNED AN AREA. 72
TABLE 4 COLIVING SPACE CLASSIFICATION TABLE. OFFICE SPACE CLASSIFICATION TABLE. ALL AREAS ARE
CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO THE ACTIVITY THAT IT HAS BEEN DESIGNED FOR CLUSTER AREAS ARE
RESIDENTIAL SPACES WITH PRIVATE STUDIOS INSIDE AND COMMUNITY AREAS ARE SHARED BY THE
WHOLE COMMUNITY AND HAVE DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS. DATA PROPERTY OF URBAN CAMPUS.
(AUTHOR DESIGN) 74
TABLE 5 THE TABLE CATEGORIZES ALL THE SPACES OF THE COLIVING SPACE. EACH IS IDENTIFIED BY A CODE
THAT INDICATES THE FLOOR AND TYPOLOGY OF SPACE. 1D (FIRST FLOOR CLUSTER STUDIO "DERECHA"),
EACH AREA HAS A CATEGORY AND A TYPOLOGY OF SPACE WITHIN THE CATEGORY AND AND ASSIGNED
AN AREA. THE "RENTA ANTIGUA" IS WITHIN THE COLIVING BUT THE ONLY RESIDENTIAL ARE THAT IS NOT
PART OF THE COLIVING AND NOT INCLUDED IN THE CURRENT CASE STUDY. DATA PROPERTY OF URBAN
CAMPUS. (AUTHOR DESIGN) 75
TABLE 6 PHYSICAL CLASSIFICATION OF ANALYSED SPACES. (SIZE IN NET USABLE AREA NUA) 75
TABLE 7 DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLE OF PARTICIPANTS 77
TABLE 8 RACI MATRIX FOR CASE STUDY 01:FLEXIBLE WORKPLACE 79
TABLE 9 RACI MATRIX FOR CASE STUDY 01:FLEXIBLE WORKPLACE 80
TABLE 10 COMPARISON OF MANUAL AND DIGITAL DATA COLLECTION METHODS 84
TABLE 11 CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT FOR THE METHODOLOGY. 95
TABLE 12 USERS DEFINITION 100
TABLE 13 OFFICE SPACE CLASSIFICATION TABLE. ALL AREAS OF THE ABO ARE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO THE
ACTIVITY THAT IT HAS BEEN DESIGNED FOR, THE SUBCATEGORY WITHIN THE MAIN FUNCTION AND A
DETAILED DESCRIPTION 102
TABLE 14 OFFICE SPACES PER CATEGORY, INDICATING FLOOR, CODE, NAME CAPACITY, NUMBER OF SEATS,
CATEGORY TYPOLOGY, AND TOTAL AREA IN M² 103
TABLE 15 ASSESSMENT OF THE DIFFERENT CRITERIA OF THE DIGITAL POE TOOL BY THE 3 METHODS 109
TABLE 16 PRESENCE PER DAR (QUANTITATIVE MANUAL DATA). NUMBERS INDICATE THE NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES PRESENT AT EACH SPACES PER HOUR. DARK COLORS HIGHLIGHT THE AREAS WITH MORE
USERS PRESENT AT A TIME 111
195
TABLE 17 SPACES WITH POSITIVE PERFORMANCE AND RELEVANT EMPLOYEE FEEDBACK. 112
TABLE 18 SPACES WITH NEGATIVE PERFORMANCE AND RELEVANT EMPLOYEE FEEDBACK 112
TABLE 19 DESIGN TEAM PRESENCE PER DAR. NUMBERS INDICATE THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES FROM DESIGN
TEAM PRESENT AT EACH SPACES PER HOUR. DARK COLORS HIGHLIGHT THE AREAS WITH MORE USERS
PRESENT AT A TIME 113
TABLE 20 OCCUPANCY/CAPACITY PER DAR (MEASURED IN %). NUMBERS INDICATE THE NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES OCCUPYING EACH SPACE DIVIDED BY THE CAPACITY OF THE SPACE, EXPRESSED AS A
PERCENTAGE. THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES PRESENT AT EACH SPACE PER HOUR. DARK COLORS
HIGHLIGHT THE AREAS WITH MORE USERS PRESENT AT A TIME 114
TABLE 21 OCCUPANCY TABLE HIGHLIGHTING KITCHEN OCCUPANCY DURING REGULAR LUNCHTIME (BETWEEN
13:30 AND 15:30). NUMBERS INDICATE THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES OCCUPYING THE KITCHEN DIVIDED
BY THE CAPACITY OF THE SPACE, EXPRESSED AS A PERCENTAGE. THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES PRESENT
AT EACH SPACE PER HOUR. DARK COLORS HIGHLIGHT THE AREAS WITH MORE USERS PRESENT AT A
TIME. 115
TABLE 22 COMPARISON OF DIGITAL POE TOOL METHODOLOGY OUTPUTS BY APPLYING THE 3 METHODS OF
STUDY (QMV, QMS AND QD) (AUTHOR DESIGN) 121
TABLE 23 POE COLIVING SPATIAL ASSESSMENT EVALUATION FRAMEWORK. THE VARIABLE NAME IS AN
ACRONYM OF THE “DESCRIPTION” AND A SUBINDEX THAT IDENTIFIES THE PHASE(S). (1C, 2D, 2I, 6C AND
0I ARE THE UNITS OF SPACES ANALYZED THROUGH THE CURRENT RESEARCH). NOTE: # STANDS FOR
"NUMBER OF", % MEASURES THE PERCENTAGE OF PRIVATE SPACES LEFT OPEN AGAINST THE TOTAL
NUMBER OF SPACES 126
TABLE 24 ASSESSMENT OF 10 PARAMETERS OF THE DIGITAL POE TOOL BY THE 3 DATA SOURCES 128
TABLE 25 COLIVERS DEFINITION 131
TABLE 26 PHYSICAL CLASSIFICATION OF ANALYZED SPACES. (SIZE IN NET USABLE AREA NUA). THE CENTRAL
CLUSTER IS THE SHARED UNITS THAT CORRESPOND TO THE CENTRAL APARTMENTS IN EACH FLOOR OF
THE BUILDING. THE LATERAL CLUSTER CORRESPONDS TO THE APARTMENTS SITUATED AT THE LEFT AND
RIGHT OF THE CENTRAL APARTMENT OF EACH FLOOR OF THE BUILDING. 134
TABLE 27 CATEGORIZATION OF LOCKS ACCORDING TO THE TYPOLOGY, LOCATION, AND ACCESS PERMITS. 136
TABLE 28 SPACES CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO WILLIAM’S PARAMETERS (PHYSICAL PARAMETERS).
*STUDIOS ARE PRIVATE SPACES, 1 PER COLIVING EACH CLUSTER IS CONNECTED TO 3–6 STUDIOS (IN
ITALIC TO DIFFERENTIATE FROM THE COMMON SPACES THAT WILL BE MEASURED) 140
TABLE 29 PERCENTAGE OF COLIVERS VISITING THE DIFFERENT SHARED SPACES PER WEEKDAY, “S” IS THE % OF
COLIVERS THAT VISITED A SPACE AT LEAST ONCE DURING THE SAMPLE PERIOD. ENTRANCE
CORRESPONDS TO THE MAIN GATE OF THE BUILDING, THEREFORE 100% OF COLIVERS TRANSIT IT.
VISUALIZATION FROM POWERBI. (THE NUMBERS ARE THE ORDINAL REPRESENTATION OF THE
WEEKDAYS 1 = MONDAY, 2 TUESDAY...). 01.05.2021 TO 01.06.2021. 145
TABLE 30 NUMBER OF COLIVERS VISITING EACH SPACE FROM 01.05.2021 TO 01.06.2021. VISUALIZATION
FROM POWERBI. 147
196
TABLE 31 COMPARISON OF DIGITAL POE TOOL METHODOLOGY OUTPUTS BY APPLYING THE 3 DATA SOURCES.
SMART LOCKS, WI-FI AND SMART ELECTRICITY METERS (SEM) 155
TABLE 32 DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES FOR THE EXPERIMENT DEVELOPMENT 159
TABLE 33 DIGITAL MATURITY OF THE BUILDING INDEX 160
TABLE 34 DIGITAL MATURITY OF THE ASSESSMENT INDEX 160
TABLE 35 FLEXIBLE WORKPLACE CATEGORIZATION OF SPACES PER TYPOLOGY, NAMING OF SPACES AND
CAPACITY 162
TABLE 36 COLIVING CATEGORIZATION OF SPACES PER TYPOLOGY, NAMING OF SPACES AND CAPACITY. 163
TABLE 37 CATEGORIZATION OF THE DIFFERENT ASSESSMENT PARAMETERS. AVAILABLE DATA SOURCES PER
SPACE (BOTH DIGITAL AND ANALOGICAL) CORRELATED TO THE ASSESSMENT PARAMETERS THEY
PROVIDE INFORMATION ON 165
TABLE 38 PRESENCE PER DAR (QUANTITATIVE MANUAL DATA). NUMBERS INDICATE THE NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES PRESENT AT EACH SPACES PER HOUR. DARK COLOURS HIGHLIGHT THE AREAS WITH MORE
USERS PRESENT AT A TIME 166
TABLE 39 DESIGN TEAM PRESENCE PER DAR. NUMBERS INDICATE THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES FROM DESIGN
TEAM PRESENT AT EACH SPACES PER HOUR. DARK COLORS HIGHLIGHT THE AREAS WITH MORE USERS
PRESENT AT A TIME. (AUTHOR DESIGN) DATA PROPERTY OF BICG 173
TABLE 40 ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION METRICS, PER CLUSTER AND PER PERSON 174
TABLE 41 SPATIAL FEEDBACK. ASSESSMENT OF EACH SPACE INCORPORATING THE LEARNINGS FROM APPLYING
THE DIGITAL POE METHODOLOGY. FLEXIBLE WORKPLACES 179
1.
197
INDEX OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1 V.U.C.A. VOLATILE, UNCERTAIN, COMPLEX, AMBIGUOUS. DEFINITION (SLFCRISIS.COM) 7
FIGURE 2 BUILDINGS ARE FILLED WITH DATA THAT CAN BE EVALUATED (HEISKANEN, 2016) 8
FIGURE 3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS (AUTHOR DESIGN) 14
FIGURE 4 THESIS STRUCTURE & PROGRESS MAP (AUTHOR DESIGN) 16
FIGURE 5 THESIS METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK APPROACH (AUTHOR DESIGN) 21
FIGURE 6 STATE OF THE ART DEFINITION (AUTHOR DESIGN) 24
FIGURE 7 DIGITAL POE METHODOLOGY 26
FIGURE 8 DIGITAL POE TOOL 26
FIGURE 9 WI-FI METHODOLOGY PROCESS SCHEME (AUTHOR DESIGN) 27
FIGURE 10 STATE OF THE ART STRUCTURE 31
FIGURE 11 EVOLUTION TREND FOR THE TERM ‘COLIVING’ WORLDWIDE IN THE PAST 7 YEARS 2014–2021
(GOOGLE, 2021) GOOGLE TRENDS WEBSITE, (ACCESSED 24/07/2021) 37
FIGURE 12 BUILDING PERFORMANCE EVALUATION: INTEGRATIVE FRAMEWORK FOR BUILDING DELIVERY AND
LIFE CYCLE (BOARIN ET AL., 2018)(BASED ON (COUNCIL, 2002)) 40
FIGURE 13 POE AND MULTI-DISCIPLINARITY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL FACILITY.(WALBE ORNSTEIN,
2005) 41
FIGURE 14 FRAMEWORK FOR IMPLEMENTING SUSTAINABILITY IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION. (AKADIRI ET AL.,
2012) 41
FIGURE 15 COMPARISON OF LOCATION TECHNIQUES (AUTHOR DESIGN) 44
FIGURE 16 OVERVIEW OF GEOLOCATION TECHNOLOGIES (SIGFOX BUILD, 2000) 45
FIGURE 17 MAIN AREAS OF OCCUPANCY PREDICTION RESEARCH IN THE CONTEXT OF USERS, USER ACTIVITY,
AND SPACE. (CHA ET AL., 2018) 47
FIGURE 18 DI-DY ANALYSIS FRAMEWORK (DESIGN AND PROPERTY OF BICG) 48
FIGURE 19 CO-OCCURRENCE NETWORK OF AUTHOR KEYWORDS FROM CASE STUDIES IN THE BIBLIOGRAPHIC
DATABASE (CARLUCCI ET AL., 2020) 49
FIGURE 20 BUILDINGS OPERATED INTELLIGENTLY, FOCUSED ON OCCUPANT BEHAVIOUR.(PEREIRA ET AL.,
2020) 49
FIGURE 21 BUILDINGS THAT AUTOMATE THE METHODOLOGY 51
FIGURE 22 DI-DY ETL PROCESS (PROPERTY AND DESIGN OF BICG) 52
FIGURE 23 ITERATIVE DESIGN APPROACH. ADAPTED FROM ISO 9241-210 (AGEE ET AL., 2021) 52
FIGURE 24 DIGITAL MATURITY ASSESSMENT 52
FIGURE 25 USE OF BUILDING PERFORMANCE METRICS (MASSHEDER AND FINCH, 1998) 53
FIGURE 26 VIVID OFFICE THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 54
198
FIGURE 27 MOBILITY RATIOS EXAMPLE (PROPERTY AND DESIGN OF BICG) 55

FIGURE 28 POE BREEAM EVALUATION RELATIONSHIP WITH PARAMETERS. MAN AFTERCARE - BREEAM 58
FIGURE 29 BASIC ROADMAP FOR THE METHODOLOGY FOR ASSESSMENT (AUTHOR DESIGN) 62
FIGURE 30 METHODOLOGY GENERATED FOR THE DIGITAL POE TOOL (AUTHOR DESIGN) 63
FIGURE 31 DIGITAL POE TOOL (AUTHOR DESIGN) 64
FIGURE 32 STEP A) OBJECTIVE OF CASE STUDY. METHODOLOGY GENERATED FOR THE DIGITAL POE TOOL
(AUTHOR DESIGN) 66
FIGURE 33 DIGITAL POE CHECKLIST TO STRUCTURE THE PILOT CASE STUDIES 67
FIGURE 34 STEP B) ENCLOSED LABORATORY DEFINITION. METHODOLOGY GENERATED FOR THE DIGITAL POE
TOOL (AUTHOR DESIGN) 68
FIGURE 35 EXAMPLE OF FLOOR 1 WORKPLACE AREA DIVIDED IN DARS BY COLORS. (LAYOUT DESIGN
PROPERTY OF BICG) 70
FIGURE 36 LAYOUTS OF THE DIFFERENT SPACES STUDIED: A) CLUSTER APARTMENTS WITH STUDIO
SUBDIVISION 1C,2I,2D B) COMMUNITY COWORKING SPACE 6C; C) GYM (0I). LAYOUT DESIGN OF ÁNGELA
JUARRANZ. 74
FIGURE 37 FEATURES AND LIMITATIONS OF INDOOR POSITIONING TECHNIQUES (INFSOFT, 2016) 78
FIGURE 38 STEP C) SETTLE THE MEASUREMENT PROCEDURES. METHODOLOGY GENERATED FOR THE DIGITAL
POE TOOL (AUTHOR DESIGN) 78
FIGURE 39 DATA COLLECTION SCHEDULE FOR THE 3 DATA COLLECTION METHODS: QMV PUNCTUAL DATA
COLLECTION THROUGH WALKTHROUGHS, QMS CONTINUES DATA COLLECTION WHILE EMPLOYEES ARE
PRESENT, QD CONTINUES DATA COLLECTION 24H (AUTHOR DESIGN) 82
FIGURE 40 DATA COLLECTION SCHEDULE FOR THE COLIVING SPACES: WI-FI NETWORK, SMART ELECTRIC
METER (SEM), ACCESS CONTROL (AUTHOR DESIGN) 83
FIGURE 41 STEP D) DATA INGESTION AND E) ETL. METHODOLOGY GENERATED FOR THE DIGITAL POE TOOL
(AUTHOR DESIGN) 83
FIGURE 42 STEP F) CONSOLE EVALUATION. METHODOLOGY GENERATED FOR THE DIGITAL POE TOOL (AUTHOR
DESIGN) 85
FIGURE 43 STEP G) KPI VISUALIZATION TOOL. METHODOLOGY GENERATED FOR THE DIGITAL POE TOOL
(AUTHOR DESIGN) 86
FIGURE 44 DIGITAL POE METHODOLOGY STRUCTURE. HIGHLIGHTED VARIABLES THAT WILL NOURISH THE
DIGITAL POE TOOL (AUTHOR DESIGN) 87
FIGURE 45 DIGITAL POE TOOL (AUTHOR DESIGN) 89
FIGURE 46 DATA SOURCES FLASHCARDS, DESCRIPTION OF THE DATA SOURCE, EXAMPLE OF HARDWARE.
CORRELATED AND ANALYSED UNDER THE DIGITAL POE TOOL. 91
FIGURE 47 DIGITAL POE ASSESSMENT TOOL (WI-FI ANALYSIS) 96
FIGURE 48 RACI MATRIX DEFINITION FOR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. QD METHOD, WI-FI NETWORK 97
FIGURE 49 PROJECT ROADMAP. (AUTHOR DESIGN) 99
FIGURE 50 DIGITAL POE METHODOLOGY APPLIED FOR QD METHOD (WI-FI) 99
199
FIGURE 51 INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE OFFICE SPACE ANALYZED: (A) ENTRANCE; (B) PRADERA; (C)
JARDÍN; (D) ALTAR. 100
FIGURE 52 DATA COLLECTION SCHEDULE FOR THE 3 DATA COLLECTION METHODS: QMV, PUNCTUAL DATA
COLLECTION THROUGH WALKTHROUGHS; QMS, CONTINUOUS DATA COLLECTION WHILE EMPLOYEES
ARE PRESENT; QD, CONTINUOUS DATA COLLECTION 24 H. 101
FIGURE 53 EXAMPLE OF WORKPLACE AREA LAYOUT TAGGED BY DARS IDENTIFIED BY COLORS. APS ARE ALSO
TAGGED AND NAMED. (A) GROUND FLOOR (SPACES: WORKSHOP, KITCHEN, FLOWER, ALTAR, CLIENTS,
AND RECEPTION); (B) FIRST FLOOR (SPACES: JARDÍN, SALON, PRADERA, VIDEO, GREEN, ORANGE...) 105
FIGURE 54 EXAMPLE OF THE WALKTHROUGH PATH SHEET. (B) BLANK REGISTER SHEETS FROM THE QMS. 105
FIGURE 55 DATA COLLECTION SCHEDULE FOR THE 3 DATA COLLECTION METHODS: QMV. PUNCTUAL DATA
COLLECTION THROUGH WALKTHROUGHS; QMS, CONTINUOUS DATA COLLECTION WHILE EMPLOYEES
ARE PRESENT; QD, CONTINUOUS DATA COLLECTION 24 H. (PROPERTY OF BICG) 107
FIGURE 56 ACCESS POINTS AND RECORD COUNT FROM EACH SPACE (DIGITAL PLATFORM VISUALIZATIONS ARE
SHOWN WITH BLACK BACKGROUND). (PROPERTY OF BICG) 108
FIGURE 57 CHART SHOWING AVERAGE STAY PER DAR IN MINUTES. 116
FIGURE 58 SPACE POPULARITY GRAPH (EACH COLOR REPRESENTS AN ANONYMIZED EMPLOYEE) 117
FIGURE 59 GLOBAL OCCUPANCY OF THE WORKSPACE (TOTAL CAPACITY: 48) 119
FIGURE 60 DIGITAL POE TOOL APPLICATION FOR QD. WI-FI NETWORK 122
FIGURE 61 DIGITAL POE METHODOLOGY APPLIED FOR WI-FI, SMART LOCKS AND SMART ELECTRICAL METERS
(SEM) 129
FIGURE 62 FLOW CHART DESCRIBING METHODOLOGY AND THE OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY. (AUTHOR DESIGN)
129
FIGURE 63 DIGITAL POE TOOL FILTERED BY THE 3 DATA SOURCES ANALYSED. 130
FIGURE 64 SCHEMES OF THE DIFFERENT SPACES STUDIED: (A) CLUSTER APARTMENTS WITH STUDIO
SUBDIVISION 1C, 2I, 2D (B) COMMUNITY COWORKING SPACE 6C; (C) GYM (0I) 133
FIGURE 65 DIGITAL POE TOOL ANALYSIS OF SMART ELECTRICITY METER (SEM) 135
FIGURE 66 DIGITAL POE TOOL ANALYSIS OF SMART LOCKS 136
FIGURE 67 DIGITAL POE TOOL ANALYSIS OF WI-FI NETWORK 137
FIGURE 68 AVERAGE YEARLY ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION PER CLUSTER (AVERAGE WH/PER HOUR) DATA
RECORDS FROM 1 JUNE 2020 TO 1 JUNE 2021. (VISUALIZATION POWER BI AUTHOR DESIGN, DATA
PROPERTY OF URBAN CAMPUS) 141
FIGURE 69 SEASONAL ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION. ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION PER MONTH (A) COMMUNITY
COWORKING 6C (B) 1C CLUSTER CENTRAL SPACE (C) 2D, 2I CLUSTER LATERAL SPACES IN COMMUNITY
SPACE 6C (AVERAGE WH/PER HOUR) DATA RECORDS FROM 1 JUNE 2020 TO 1 JUNE 2021.
(VISUALIZATION POWER BI AUTHOR DESIGN, DATA PROPERTY OF URBAN CAMPUS) 143
FIGURE 70 AVERAGE YEARLY ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION PER WEEKDAY (AVERAGE WH/PER HOUR) DATA
RECORDS FROM 1 JUNE 2020 TO 1 JUNE 2021. VISUALIZATION WITH POWERBI. (A) 1C CENTRAL CLUSTER
200
WITH COMMON KITCHEN, (B) 2D & 2I LATERAL CLUSTER WITH SMALL KITCHEN, (C) 6C COMMUNITY
COWORKING SPACE. 144
FIGURE 71 . (A) NUMBER OF VISITORS PER COMMON SPACE WEEKDAYS. (B) VISITING ROUTINES WEEKDAYS.
(C) NUMBER OF VISITORS PER COMMON SPACE WEEKENDS (D) VISITING ROUTINES WEEKENDS. (E)
VISITING ROUTINES OF THE GYM. (TAG IS EVERY ENTRY BY A COLIVER) FROM 01.05.2021 TO 01.06.2021.
VISUALIZATION FROM POWERBI. 147
FIGURE 72 THE GRAPHS REPRESENT THE DAILY AVERAGE TOTAL DEVICES SEEN BY THE APS PER HOUR IN THE
DIFFERENT SPACES. (A) AVERAGE DAILY TOTAL DEVICES SEEN PER AP. (B) TOTAL DEVICES SEEN AT THE
GYM (0I) PER HOUR, (C) TOTAL DEVICES SEEN AT THE COMMUNITY SPACE COWORKING AND EVENTS
(6C) PER HOUR, (D) TOTAL DEVICES SEEN IN THE DIFFERENT CLUSTER SPACES (2D, 2I, 2I) PER HOUR,
COUNT OF DE... (COUNT OF DEVICE). FROM 01.05.2021 TO 01.06. 2021.VISUALIZATION DEVELOPED
WITH POWER BI. 149
FIGURE 73 SPACE PROFILES (SPS). (A) CENTRAL CLUSTER (1C). (B) LATERAL CLUSTER (2D, 2I). (C) COMMUNITY
SPACES (6C, 0I). 152
FIGURE 74 DIGITAL POE TOOL APPLICATION OF WI-FI, SMART LOCKS AND SMART ELECTRICAL METER (SEM)154
FIGURE 75 CLASSIFICATION DATA SOURCES AND PARAMETERS RELATED TO THE SCOPE OF THE ANALYSIS AND
THE SCALABILITY 161
FIGURE 76 VISITORS PER SPACE: WEEKDAY/WEEKEND. 01.05.2021 TO 01.06.2021. VISUALIZATION FROM
POWERBI. (DATA PROPERTY OF URBAN CAMPUS) 167
FIGURE 77 SEVERAL PARAMETERS VISUALIZATION 169
FIGURE 78 AVERAGE STAY PER DAR. (DEVELOPED BY THE AUTHOR) 170
FIGURE 79 SPACE POPULARITY GRAPH (EACH COLOUR REPRESENTS AN ANONYMIZED EMPLOYEE) (AUTHOR
DESIGN) 171
FIGURE 80 SMART LOCK NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SPACES VISITED BY THE USERS 172
FIGURE 81 SHARED SPACE SANKEY DIAGRAM. CONNECTIONS BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS THROUGH SHARED
SPACE. (MEASURED BY % OF TIME SHARED WITH OTHERS) 173
FIGURE 82 ENERGY CONSUMPTION METRICS (DATA PROPERTY OF URBAN CAMPUS) 175
FIGURE 83 DI-DY DASHBOARD (PROPERTY OF BICG) 177
FIGURE 84 DATA VISUALIZATION PLATFORMS. VISUALIZATION DASHBOARD FOR URBAN CAMPUS DATA
ANALYSIS. 178
FIGURE 85 SPACE PROFILES. ASSESSMENT FLASHCARDS FROM THE COLIVING SPACES THAT INTEGRATED THE
SPATIAL DEFINITION OF SPACES WITH THE FROM APPLYING THE DIGITAL POE METHODOLOGY. FLEXIBLE
WORKPLACES. TO BE USED AS AN INTERACTION METHOD AND RESOURCE FOR ITERATION OF SPATIAL
DESIGN BY AECD PRACTITIONERS. 180
FIGURE 86 EXAMPLE OF INFORMED LETTER OF CONSENT 231
201
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Agee, P., Gao, X., Paige, F., McCoy, A., Kleiner, B., 2021. A human-centred approach to smart
housing. Build. Res. Inf. 49, 84–99. https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2020.1808946
Al-Ammar, M.A., Alhadhrami, S., Al-Salman, A., Alarifi, A., Al-Khalifa, H.S., Alnafessah,
A., Alsaleh, M., 2014. Comparative Survey of Indoor Positioning Technologies,
Techniques, and Algorithms, in: 2014 International Conference on Cyberworlds.
Presented at the 2014 International Conference on Cyberworlds (CW), IEEE, Santander,
Cantabria, Spain, pp. 245–252. https://doi.org/10.1109/CW.2014.41
Alavi, H.S., Lalanne, D., Nembrini, J., Churchill, E., Kirk, D., Moncur, W., 2016. Future of
Human-Building Interaction, in: Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference Extended
Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems. Presented at the CHI’16: CHI
Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, ACM, San Jose California USA,
pp. 3408–3414. https://doi.org/10.1145/2851581.2856502
Allam, Z., Dhunny, Z.A., 2019. On big data, artificial intelligence and smart cities. Cities 89,
80–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2019.01.032
Alonso, M., Rubio, A., Escrig, T., Soto, T., Serrano-Lanzarote, B., Matarredona-Desantes, N.,
2021. Identification of Measures to Strengthen Resilience in Homes on the Basis of
Lockdown Experience during COVID-19. Sustainability 13, 6168.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116168
Alonso-Almeida, M. del M., Escat, M., Adriana, P.-E., 2021. Coworking spaces: Threat or
opportunity to face crisis situations, in: Proceedings of The 3rd International Electronic
Conference on Environmental Research and Public Health —Public Health Issues in
the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Presented at the The 3rd International
Electronic Conference on Environmental Research and Public Health —Public Health
Issues in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic, MDPI, Sciforum.net Online, p. 9099.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ECERPH-3-09099
Arundell, L., Sudholz, B., Teychenne, M., Salmon, J., Hayward, B., Healy, G., Timperio, A.,
2018. The Impact of Activity Based Working (ABW) on Workplace Activity, Eating
Behaviours, Productivity, and Satisfaction. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public. Health 15, 1005.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15051005
202
Ayuso Sanchez, J., Ikaga, T., Vega Sanchez, S., 2018. Quantitative improvement in workplace
performance through biophilic design: A pilot experiment case study. Energy Build.
177, 316–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2018.07.065
Bashir, M.R., Gill, A.Q., 2016. Towards an IoT Big Data Analytics Framework: Smart
Buildings Systems, in: 2016 IEEE 18th International Conference on High Performance
Computing and Communications; IEEE 14th International Conference on Smart City;
IEEE 2nd International Conference on Data Science and Systems
(HPCC/SmartCity/DSS). Presented at the 2016 IEEE 18th International Conference on
High Performance Computing and Communications; IEEE 14th International
Conference on Smart City; IEEE 2nd International Conference on Data Science and
Systems (HPCC/SmartCity/DSS), IEEE, Sydney, Australia, pp. 1325–1332.
https://doi.org/10.1109/HPCC-SmartCity-DSS.2016.0188
Bauman, Z., 2005. Education in Liquid Modernity. Rev. Educ. Pedagogy Cult. Stud. 27, 303–
317. https://doi.org/10.1080/10714410500338873
Berbegal-Mirabent, J., 2021. What Do We Know about Co-Working Spaces? Trends and
Challenges Ahead. Sustainability 13, 1416. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031416
Bergan, T.L., Gorman-Murray, A., Power, E.R., 2020. Coliving housing: home cultures of
precarity for the new creative class. Soc. Cult. Geogr. 1–19.
https://doi.org/10.1080/14649365.2020.1734230
Bergefurt, L., Weijs-Perrée, M., Appel-Meulenbroek, R., Maris, C., 2021. Analyzing the effect
of distractions of working from home on mental health of office workers during the
COVID-19 pandemic, in: Proceedings of The 3rd International Electronic Conference
on Environmental Research and Public Health —Public Health Issues in the Context of
the COVID-19 Pandemic. Presented at the The 3rd International Electronic Conference
on Environmental Research and Public Health —Public Health Issues in the Context of
the COVID-19 Pandemic, MDPI, Sciforum.net Online, p. 9075.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ECERPH-3-09075
Binnekamp, R., 2010. Preference-based design in architecture. Delft University Press,
Amsterdam.
Bonoli, A., Zanni, S., Serrano-Bernardo, F., 2021. Sustainability in Building and Construction
within the Framework of Circular Cities and European New Green Deal. The
Contribution of Concrete Recycling. Sustainability 13, 2139.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042139
203
Bordass, B., Cohen, R., Standeven, M., Leaman, A., 2001. Assessing building performance in
use 2: technical performance of the Probe buildings. Build. Res. Inf. 29, 103–113.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09613210010008027
Bouncken, R.B., Reuschl, A.J., 2018. Coworking-spaces: how a phenomenon of the sharing
economy builds a novel trend for the workplace and for entrepreneurship. Rev. Manag.
Sci. 12, 317–334. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-016-0215-y
Bourgeois, J., Kortuem, G., Kawsar, F., 2018. Trusted and GDPR-compliant research with the
internet of things, in: Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on the Internet of
Things. Presented at the IOT ’18: 8th International Conference on the Internet of Things,
ACM, Santa Barbara California USA, pp. 1–8.
https://doi.org/10.1145/3277593.3277604
Browne, R.A.V., Cabral, L.L.P., Freire, Y.A., Macêdo, G.A.D., Oliveira, G.T.A., Vivas, A.,
Elsangedy, H.M., Fontes, E.B., Costa, E.C., 2021. Housing type is associated with
objectively measured changes in movement behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic
in older adults with hypertension: An exploratory study. Arch. Gerontol. Geriatr. 94,
104354. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2021.104354
BUILDING KNOWLEDGE: pathways to post occupancy evaluation., 2017. . RIBA
PUBLICATIONS, Place of publication not identified.
Bullee, J.-W., Montoya, L., Junger, M., Hartel, P., 2018. Physical location of smart key
activators – a building security penetration test. J. Corp. Real Estate 20, 138–151.
https://doi.org/10.1108/JCRE-05-2017-0014
Campos, R.S., Lovisolo, L., de Campos, M.L.R., 2014. Wi-Fi multi-floor indoor positioning
considering architectural aspects and controlled computational complexity. Expert Syst.
Appl. 41, 6211–6223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2014.04.011
Candido, C., Kim, J., de Dear, R., Thomas, L., 2016. BOSSA: a multidimensional post-
occupancy evaluation tool. Build. Res. Inf. 44, 214–228.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2015.1072298
Canetti, R., Krawczyk, H., 2001. Analysis of Key-Exchange Protocols and Their Use for
Building Secure Channels, in: Pfitzmann, B. (Tran.), Advances in Cryptology —
EUROCRYPT 2001. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, Berlin, Heidelberg, pp. 453–474.
Capdevila, I., 2013. Knowledge Dynamics in Localized Communities: Coworking Spaces as
Microclusters. SSRN Electron. J. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2414121
Caprotti, F., Cowley, R., Datta, A., Broto, V.C., Gao, E., Georgeson, L., Herrick, C., Odendaal,
N., Joss, S., 2017. The New Urban Agenda: key opportunities and challenges for policy
204
and practice. Urban Res. Pract. 10, 367–378.

https://doi.org/10.1080/17535069.2016.1275618
Carlucci, S., De Simone, M., Firth, S.K., Kjærgaard, M.B., Markovic, R., Rahaman, M.S.,
Annaqeeb, M.K., Biandrate, S., Das, A., Dziedzic, J.W., Fajilla, G., Favero, M.,
Ferrando, M., Hahn, J., Han, M., Peng, Y., Salim, F., Schlüter, A., van Treeck, C., 2020.
Modeling occupant behavior in buildings. Build. Environ. 174, 106768.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2020.106768
Cha, S.H., Steemers, K., Kim, T.W., 2018. Modeling space preferences for accurate occupancy
prediction during the design phase. Autom. Constr. 93, 135–147.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2018.05.001
Chang, C., Li, H., Zhang, Y., Du, S., Cao, H., Zhu, H., 2019. Automated and Personalized
Privacy Policy Extraction Under GDPR Consideration, in: Biagioni, E.S., Zheng, Y.,
Cheng, S. (Eds.), Wireless Algorithms, Systems, and Applications, Lecture Notes in
Computer Science. Springer International Publishing, Cham, pp. 43–54.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23597-0_4
Clarke, S.E., 1986. The Social Production of Urban Space. By M. Gottdiener. (Austin:
University of Texas Press, 1985. Pp. viii + 318. $27.50.). Am. Polit. Sci. Rev. 80, 1415–
1417. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055400185909
Cleaver, N., Frearson, A., 2021. All Together Now: the Co-Working and Co-living Revolution.
Clements-Croome, D. (Ed.), 2017. Creating the Productive Workplace: Places to Work
Creatively, 3rd ed. Routledge, Third edition. | New York : Routledge, 2017. | “First
edition published by E & FN Spon 2000. Second edition published by Taylor & Francis
2006.” https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315658834
Clements-Croome, D. (Ed.), 2000. Creating the productive workplace. E & FN Spon, London;
New York.
Colenberg, S., Jylhä, T., Arkesteijn, M., 2021. The relationship between interior office space
and employee health and well-being – a literature review. Build. Res. Inf. 49, 352–366.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2019.1710098
Counsell, J., Puybaraud, M.-C., 2007. Real-Time Data and Analysis of the Use of Office Space,
in: 2007 11th International Conference Information Visualization (IV ’07). Presented
at the 2007 11th International Conference Information Visualization (IV ’07), IEEE,
Zurich, Switzerland, pp. 579–583. https://doi.org/10.1109/IV.2007.91
Cox, H., 2016. Communal living moves upmarket in London, New York and Hong Kong.
Financ. Times.
205
Creswell, J.W., 2009. Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods
approaches, 3rd ed. ed. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Cuerdo-Vilches, T., Navas-Martín, M.Á., Oteiza, I., 2021. Behavior Patterns, Energy
Consumption and Comfort during COVID-19 Lockdown Related to Home Features,
Socioeconomic Factors and Energy Poverty in Madrid. Sustainability 13, 5949.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su13115949
Cuerdo-Vilches, T., Navas-Martín, M.Á., Oteiza, I., 2020. A Mixed Approach on Resilience
of Spanish Dwellings and Households during COVID-19 Lockdown. Sustainability 12,
10198. https://doi.org/10.3390/su122310198
Curwell, S., Deakin, M., Cooper, I., Paskaleva-Shapira, K., Ravetz, J., Babicki, D., 2005.
Citizens’ expectations of information cities: implications for urban planning and design.
Build. Res. Inf. 33, 55–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/0961321042000329422
D. Minoli, K. Sohraby, B. Occhiogrosso, 2017. IoT Considerations, Requirements, and
Architectures for Smart Buildings—Energy Optimization and Next-Generation
Building Management Systems. IEEE Internet Things J. 4, 269–283.
https://doi.org/10.1109/JIOT.2017.2647881
Daria, B., Martina, C., Alessandro, P., Fabio, S., Valentina, V., Zennaro, I., 2018. Integrating
mocap system and immersive reality for efficient human-centred workstation design.
IFAC-Pap. 51, 188–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2018.08.256
David, H., 2010. Social Justice and the City.
De Been, I., Beijer, M., 2014. The influence of office type on satisfaction and perceived
productivity support. J. Facil. Manag. 12, 142–157. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFM-02-
2013-0011
de Blasio, G., Quesada-Arencibia, A., García, C., Molina-Gil, J., Caballero-Gil, C., 2017.
Study on an Indoor Positioning System for Harsh Environments Based on Wi-Fi and
Bluetooth Low Energy. Sensors 17, 1299. https://doi.org/10.3390/s17061299
Del Boca, D., Oggero, N., Profeta, P., Rossi, M., 2020. Women’s and men’s work, housework
and childcare, before and during COVID-19. Rev. Econ. Househ. 18, 1001–1017.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11150-020-09502-1
Designing Buildings, 2021. Post occupancy evaluation of completed construction works. Des.
Build. URL
https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Post_occupancy_evaluation_of_complete
d_construction_works (accessed 3.6.21).
206
Deutsch, R., Aia, Leed, A.P., 2015. Leveraging data Across the Building Lifecycle. Procedia
Eng. 118, 260–267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2015.08.425
D’Oca, S., Corgnati, S.P., Buso, T., 2014. Smart meters and energy savings in Italy:
Determining the effectiveness of persuasive communication in dwellings. Energy Res.
Soc. Sci. 3, 131–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2014.07.015
Dodd, N., Cordella, M., Traverso, M., Donatello, S., 2017. Level(s) – A common EU
framework of core sustainability indicators for office and residential buildings, JCR
Technical Reports.
Dorato, E., 2020. Preventive Urbanism: The Role of Health in Designing Active Cities.
Quodlibet. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv13xpqzg
Esteban-Gonzalo, S., González-Pascual, J.L., Caballero-Galilea, M., Esteban-Gonzalo, L.,
2020. Psychosocial Correlates of Mental Health and Well-Being During the COVID-
19: The Spanish Case. Front. Psychol. 11, 609815.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.609815
Fernandes Bella, R., Gonçalves Quelhas, O., Toledo Ferraz, F., Soares Bezerra, M., 2018.
Workplace Spirituality: Sustainable Work Experience from a Human Factors
Perspective. Sustainability 10, 1887. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10061887
Fettermann, D.C., Borriello, A., Pellegrini, A., Cavalcante, C.G., Rose, J.M., Burke, P.F., 2021.
Getting smarter about household energy: the who and what of demand for smart meters.
Build. Res. Inf. 49, 100–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2020.1807896
Foth, M., 2009. Handbook of Research on Urban Informatics: The Practice and Promise of the
Real-Time City. IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-60566-152-0
Gane, N., 2001. Zygmunt Bauman: Liquid Modernity and Beyond. Acta Sociol. 44, 267–275.
https://doi.org/10.1080/000169901750528386
Gao, S., Prasad, S., 2016. Employing Spatial Analysis in Indoor Positioning and Tracking
Using Wi-Fi Access Points, in: Proceedings of the Eighth ACM SIGSPATIAL
International Workshop on Indoor Spatial Awareness, ISA ’16. Association for
Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, pp. 27–34.
https://doi.org/10.1145/3005422.3005425
Garrett, L.E., Spreitzer, G.M., Bacevice, P.A., 2017. Co-constructing a Sense of Community
at Work: The Emergence of Community in Coworking Spaces. Organ. Stud. 38, 821–
842. https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840616685354
207
Gerdenitsch, C., Scheel, T.E., Andorfer, J., Korunka, C., 2016. Coworking Spaces: A Source
of Social Support for Independent Professionals. Front. Psychol. 7.
Giacomin, J., 2014. What Is Human Centred Design? Des. J. 17, 606–623.
https://doi.org/10.2752/175630614X14056185480186
Giedion, S., 2008. Space, Time and Architecture: the growth of a new tradition, 5., rev.enlarged
ed. ed, The Charles Eliot Norton Lectures for 1938-1939. Harvard Univ. Pr, Cambridge,
Mass.
Glaeser, E.L., Gyourko, J., Saks, R., 2005. Why Is Manhattan So Expensive? Regulation and
the Rise in Housing Prices. J. Law Econ. 48, 331–369. https://doi.org/10.1086/429979
Golubchikov, O., Badyina, A., 2012. Sustainable housing for sustainable cities: a policy
framework for developing countries. UN-HABITAT, Nairobi, Kenya.
Gottdiener, M., Feagin, J.R., 1988. The Paradigm Shift in Urban Sociology. Urban Aff. Q. 24,
163–187. https://doi.org/10.1177/004208168802400201
GOV UK, 2021. Families and households in the UK: 2020.
Gu, N., Wang, X. (Eds.), 2012. Computational Design Methods and Technologies:
Applications in CAD, CAM and CAE Education. IGI Global.
https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-61350-180-1
Hardy, A., Gretzel, U., Hanson, D., 2013. Travelling neo-tribes: conceptualising recreational
vehicle users. J. Tour. Cult. Change 11, 48–60.
https://doi.org/10.1080/14766825.2013.783584
Hay, R., Samuel, F., Watson, K.J., Bradbury, S., 2018. Post-occupancy evaluation in
architecture: experiences and perspectives from UK practice. Build. Res. Inf. 46, 698–
710. https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2017.1314692
Heiskanen, A., 2016. ReCoTech: How WeWork Uses Data to Make Buildings Better. URL
https://aec-business.com/recotech-wework-uses-data-make-buildings-better/ (accessed
2.1.17).
Hernández, J.L., Moreno, M.V., Jara, A.J., Skarmeta, A.F., 2014. A soft computing based
location-aware access control for smart buildings. Soft Comput. 18, 1659–1674.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00500-014-1278-9
Hertz, N., 2020. The lonely century coming together in a world that’s pulling apart.
Holtzblatt, K., Wendell, J., Wood, S., 2004. Rapid Contextual Design: A How-To Guide to
Key Techniques for User-Centered Design, in: Ubiquity. p. 320.
https://doi.org/10.1145/1066322.1066325
208
Hong, T., D’Oca, S., Turner, W.J.N., Taylor-Lange, S.C., 2015. An ontology to represent
energy-related occupant behavior in buildings. Part I: Introduction to the DNAs
framework. Build. Environ. 92, 764–777.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2015.02.019
Hong, T., Taylor-Lange, S.C., D’Oca, S., Yan, D., Corgnati, S.P., 2016. Advances in research
and applications of energy-related occupant behavior in buildings. Energy Build. 116,
694–702. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2015.11.052
İlçi, V., Gülal, E., Alkan, R.M., 2018. An investigation of different Wi-Fi signal behaviours
and their effects on indoor positioning accuracy. Surv. Rev. 50, 404–411.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00396265.2017.1292672
Jeng, T., 2019. Toward a ubiquitous smart space design framework. J. Inf. Sci. Eng. 25.
Jens, K., Das, A., Kjaergaard, M.B., Gregg, J.S., 2020. Human-centered Information for
Decision-Making Processes of Future Space Designs, in: 2020 IEEE International
Conference on Pervasive Computing and Communications Workshops (PerCom
Workshops). Presented at the 2020 IEEE International Conference on Pervasive
Computing and Communications Workshops (PerCom Workshops), IEEE, Austin, TX,
USA, pp. 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1109/PerComWorkshops48775.2020.9156227
Jens, K., Gregg, J.S., 2021. The impact on human behaviour in shared building spaces as a
result of COVID-19 restrictions. Build. Res. Inf. 1–15.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2021.1926217
Jia, Q., Zhou, L., Li, H., Yang, R., Du, S., Zhu, H., 2019. Who Leaks My Privacy: Towards
Automatic and Association Detection with GDPR Compliance, in: Biagioni, E.S.,
Zheng, Y., Cheng, S. (Eds.), Wireless Algorithms, Systems, and Applications, Lecture
Notes in Computer Science. Springer International Publishing, Cham, pp. 137–148.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23597-0_11
Jimenez-Moreno, P., 2021. Mass Customisation for Zero-Energy Housing. Sustainability 13,
5616. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13105616
Kadet, A., 2017. Co-Living Appeals to Renters Willing to Swap Space For Convenience; Trend,
Where Renters Pay for Small Furnished Apartments with Amenities, Is Emerging in
Several Cities. Wall Str. J. Online.
Kamarulzaman, N., Saleh, A.A., Hashim, S.Z., Hashim, H., Abdul-Ghani, A.A., 2011. An
Overview of the Influence of Physical Office Environments Towards Employee.
Procedia Eng. 20, 262–268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2011.11.164
209
Kim, J., de Dear, R., 2013. Workspace satisfaction: The privacy-communication trade-off in
open-plan offices. J. Environ. Psychol. 36, 18–26.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.06.007
Kim, T.W., Cha, S., Kim, Y., 2018. Space choice, rejection and satisfaction in university
campus. Indoor Built Environ. 27, 233–243.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1420326X16665897
Konomi, S., Roussos, G. (Eds.), 2017. Enriching Urban Spaces with Ambient Computing, the
Internet of Things, and Smart City Design:, Advances in Human and Social Aspects of
Technology. IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-0827-4
Konsolakis, K., Hermens, H., Villalonga, C., Vollenbroek-Hutten, M., Banos, O., 2018.
Human Behaviour Analysis through Smartphones. Proceedings 2, 1243.
https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2191243
Lara, A.P., Moreira Da Costa, E., Furlani, T.Z., Yigitcanlar, T., 2016. Smartness that matters:
towards a comprehensive and human-centred characterisation of smart cities. J. Open
Innov. Technol. Mark. Complex. 2, 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40852-016-0034-z
Leaman, A., Stevenson, F., Bordass, B., 2010. Building evaluation: practice and principles.
Build. Res. Inf. 38, 564–577. https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2010.495217
Lee, A.D., Chin, R.I., Marden, C.L., 1995. Affordable housing: Reducing the energy cost
burden (No. PNL--10372, 10119240). https://doi.org/10.2172/10119240
Lefebvre, H., 1991. The production of space. Blackwell, Oxford, OX, UK ; Cambridge, Mass.,
USA.
Lejoux, P., Flipo, A., Ortar, N., Ovtracht, N., Souche-Lecorvec, S., Stanica, R., 2019.
Coworking, a Way to Achieve Sustainable Mobility? Designing an Interdisciplinary
Research Project. Sustainability 11, 7161. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11247161
Loftness, V., Hartkopf, V., Gurtekin, B., Hansen, D., Hitchcock, R., 2003. Linking energy to
health and productivity in the built environment. Presented at the Greenbuild
conference, pp. 1–12.
López Zaldívar, O., Picazo, Á., Vidales, A., 2019. ABSTRACTS BOOK CITE2019.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN
BUILDING 2019.
Loyola, M., 2018. Big data in building design: a review.
Maffesoli, M., 1996. The time of the tribes: the decline of individualism in mass society,
Theory, culture & society. Sage, London ; Thousand Oaks, Calif.
210
Mariotti, I., Di Vita, S., Akhavan, M., 2021. New workplaces - location patterns, urban effects
and development trajectories: a worldwide investigation, Research for development.
Springer, Cham, Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63443-8
Marsh, R., 2017. Building lifespan: effect on the environmental impact of building components
in a Danish perspective. Archit. Eng. Des. Manag. 13, 80–100.
https://doi.org/10.1080/17452007.2016.1205471
Martín-Lopo, M.M., Boal, J., Sánchez-Miralles, Á., 2020. A literature review of IoT energy
platforms aimed at end users. Comput. Netw. 171, 107101.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comnet.2020.107101
McAlone, N., 2016. The Truth about the ‘Dorms for Adults’ That $16 Billion WeWork Is
Betting Its Future On. Bus. Insid.
Meneses, F., Moreira, A., 2012. Large scale movement analysis from WiFi based location data,
in: 2012 International Conference on Indoor Positioning and Indoor Navigation (IPIN).
Presented at the 2012 International Conference on Indoor Positioning and Indoor
Navigation (IPIN), IEEE, Sydney, Australia, pp. 1–9.
https://doi.org/10.1109/IPIN.2012.6418885
Menezes, A.C., Cripps, A., Bouchlaghem, D., Buswell, R., 2012. Predicted vs. actual energy
performance of non-domestic buildings: Using post-occupancy evaluation data to
reduce the performance gap. Appl. Energy 97, 355–364.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2011.11.075
Meyer, C., Davis, S., 2000. Blur: The Speed of Change in the Connected Economy. Work
Study 49, ws.2000.07949dae.003. https://doi.org/10.1108/ws.2000.07949dae.003
Miller, E.D., 2020. Loneliness in the Era of COVID-19. Front. Psychol. 11, 2219.
Mohammed, M.N., Desyansah, S.F., Al-Zubaidi, S., Yusuf, E., 2020. An internet of things-
based smart homes and healthcare monitoring and management system: Review. J.
Phys. Conf. Ser. 1450, 012079. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1450/1/012079
Monje Pascual, A., 2021. La arquitectura del trabajo. Archidocs LLC, Buenos Aires.
Monzón-Chavarrías, M., Guillén-Lambea, S., García-Pérez, S., Montealegre-Gracia, A.L.,
Sierra-Pérez, J., 2021. Heating Energy Consumption and Environmental Implications
Due to the Change in Daily Habits in Residential Buildings Derived from COVID-19
Crisis: The Case of Barcelona, Spain. Sustainability 13, 918.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020918
211
Moretti, A., Menna, F., Aulicino, M., Paoletta, M., Liguori, S., Iolascon, G., 2020.
Characterization of Home Working Population during COVID-19 Emergency: A
Cross-Sectional Analysis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public. Health 17, 6284.
Murphy, K., 2012. The social pillar of sustainable development: a literature review and
framework for policy analysis. Sustain. Sci. Pract. Policy 8, 15–29.
https://doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2012.11908081
Mustafa, F.A., 2017. Performance assessment of buildings via post-occupancy evaluation: A
case study of the building of the architecture and software engineering departments in
Salahaddin University-Erbil, Iraq. Front. Archit. Res. 6, 412–429.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foar.2017.06.004
Nanda, A., Thanos, S., Valtonen, E., Xu, Y., Zandieh, R., 2021. Forced homeward: the
COVID-19 implications for housing. Town Plan. Rev. 92, 25–31.
https://doi.org/10.3828/tpr.2020.79
Newsham, G., Brand, J., Donnelly, C., Veitch, J., Aries, M., Charles, K., 2009. Linking indoor
environment conditions to job satisfaction: a field study. Build. Res. Inf. 37, 129–147.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09613210802710298
Newsham, G.R., Mancini, S., Birt, B.J., 2009. Do LEED-certified buildings save energy? Yes,
but…. Energy Build. 41, 897–905. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2009.03.014
Nguyen, T.A., Aiello, M., 2013. Energy intelligent buildings based on user activity: A survey.
Energy Build. 56, 244–257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2012.09.005
Norman, D., 2013. The design of everyday things: Revised and expanded edition. Basic books.
Oechslin, W., 1993. CAAD und Geschichte — computus et historia. In Architectura et
Machina.
Osborne, R., 2018. Best Practices For Urban Coliving Communities.
Oseland, N., Bartlett, P., 1999. Improving office productivity: A guide for business and
facilities managers. Longman.
Ozkan, D.G., Alpak, E.M., Yilmaz, S., Düzenli, T., Ozbilen, A., 2015. Post occupancy
evaluation and user satisfaction in urban open space. Fresenius Environ. Bull. 24, 1659–
1672.
Parker, D.S., 2002. Research Highlights From A Large Scale Residential Monitoring Study In
A Hot Climate. Int. Symp. Highly Effic. Use Energy Reduct. Its Environ. Impact 108–
116.
212
Parrino, L., 2015. Coworking: assessing the role of proximity in knowledge exchange. Knowl.
Manag. Res. Pract. 13, 261–271. https://doi.org/10.1057/kmrp.2013.47
Pereira, L.M., Karpouzoglou, T., Frantzeskaki, N., Olsson, P., 2018. Designing transformative
spaces for sustainability in social-ecological systems. Ecol. Soc. 23.
Pereira, P.F., Ramos, N.M.M., Simões, M.L., 2020. Data-driven occupant actions prediction to
achieve an intelligent building. Build. Res. Inf. 48, 485–500.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2019.1692648
Pilcher, J.J., Nadler, E., Busch, C., 2002. Effects of hot and cold temperature exposure on
performance: a meta-analytic review. Ergonomics 45, 682–698.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00140130210158419
Popowska, M., 2017. Co-Living or a “Sandpit” for Future Entrepreneurs. First Experience from
Poland. Stud. Mater. Wydz. Zarządzania UW 1/2017, 7–13.
https://doi.org/10.7172/1733-9758.2017.23.1
Price, C., 1979. Technology is the answer, but what was the question? Pidgeon Audio Visual.
Rañeses, M.K., Chang-Richards, A., Wang, K.I.-K., Dirks, K.N., 2021. Housing for Now and
the Future: A Systematic Review of Climate-Adaptive Measures. Sustainability 13,
6744. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126744
Regodon, A., Armand, M., Lastres, C., De Pedro, J., García-Santos, A., 2021. Data-Driven
Methodology for Coliving Spaces and Space Profiling Based on Post-Occupancy
Evaluation through Digital Trail of Users. Sustainability 13, 12607.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212607
Regodón, A., García-Navalón, E., Santiso-Hernandez, J., Delgado-Rodriguez, E., Garcia-
Santos, A., 2021. Learnings from User Digital Trail Post-Occupancy Evaluation before
COVID-19 for Future Workplace Analysis and Design. Buildings 11, 513.
https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11110513
Remoy, H., van der Voordt, D., 2013. Adaptability: how to accommodate changing user
preferences Proceedings of the 20th European Real Estate Society, ERES 2013.
Robelski, S., Keller, H., Harth, V., Mache, S., 2019. Coworking Spaces: The Better Home
Office? A Psychosocial and Health-Related Perspective on an Emerging Work
Environment. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public. Health 16, 2379.
Rodrigues, C., Raposo, H., Pegado, E., Fernandes, A., 2021. Coffee in the Workplace: A Social
Break or a Performance Enhancer? Med. Sci. Forum 5, 44.
https://doi.org/10.3390/msf2021005044
213
Rolfö, L., Eklund, J., Jahncke, H., 2018. Perceptions of performance and satisfaction after
relocation to an activity-based office. Ergonomics 61, 644–657.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2017.1398844
Rolfö, L.V., 2018. Relocation to an activity-based flexible office – Design processes and
outcomes. Appl. Ergon. 73, 141–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2018.05.017
Rothe, P., Lindholm, A., Hyvönen, A., Nenonen, S., 2011. User preferences of office occupiers:
investigating the differences. J. Corp. Real Estate 13, 81–97.
https://doi.org/10.1108/14630011111136803
Sailer, K., McCulloh, I., 2012. Social networks and spatial configuration—How office layouts
drive social interaction. Soc. Netw. 34, 47–58.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2011.05.005
Sankari prev. Kojo, I., Nenonen, S., 2016. Typologies for co-working spaces in Finland – What
and how? Facilities 34, 302–313. https://doi.org/10.1108/F-08-2014-0066
Saurin, R., Ratcliffe, J., Puybaraud, M., 2008. Tomorrow’s workplace: a futures approach using
prospective through scenarios. J. Corp. Real Estate 10, 243–261.
https://doi.org/10.1108/14630010810925118
Schmitt, G.N., 1999. Information Architecture: Basis and Future of CAAD,. Birkhäuser--
Publishers for Architecture.
Schweizer, C., Edwards, R.D., Bayer-Oglesby, L., Gauderman, W.J., Ilacqua, V., Juhani
Jantunen, M., Lai, H.K., Nieuwenhuijsen, M., Künzli, N., 2007. Indoor time–
microenvironment–activity patterns in seven regions of Europe. J. Expo. Sci. Environ.
Epidemiol. 17, 170–181. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jes.7500490
Shanafelt, T., Goh, J., Sinsky, C., 2017. The Business Case for Investing in Physician Well-
being. JAMA Intern. Med. 177, 1826.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.4340
Silva, B.N., Khan, M., Han, K., 2018. Towards sustainable smart cities: A review of trends,
architectures, components, and open challenges in smart cities. Sustain. Cities Soc. 38,
697–713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2018.01.053
Smith, B., Lim, M., 2020. How the COVID-19 pandemic is focusing attention on loneliness
and social isolation. Public Health Res. Pract.
Soheilian, M., Fischl, G., Aries, M., 2021. Smart Lighting Application for Energy Saving and
User Well-Being in the Residential Environment. Sustainability 13, 6198.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116198
214
Spath, D., Bauer, W., Rief, S., 2010. Green Office: ökonomische und ökologische Potenziale
nachhaltiger Arbeits- und Bürogestaltung. Gabler Verlag / Springer Fachmedien
Wiesbaden GmbH, Wiesbaden, Wiesbaden.
Spinuzzi, C., 2012. Working Alone Together: Coworking as Emergent Collaborative Activity.
J. Bus. Tech. Commun. 26, 399–441. https://doi.org/10.1177/1050651912444070
Steding, D., 2019. Coliving: an emerging term without a common definition.
Stevenson, F., Leaman, A., 2010. Evaluating housing performance in relation to human
behaviour: new challenges. Build. Res. Inf. 38, 437–441.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2010.497282
Sussman, A., Hollander, J.B. (Eds.), 2021. Urban experience and design: contemporary
perspectives on improving the public realm. Routledge, New York, NY.
Takewaki, I., 2020. New Architectural Viewpoint for Enhancing Society’s Resilience for
Multiple Risks Including Emerging COVID-19. Front. Built Environ. 6, 143.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2020.00143
The ´intelligent´ buildings. Retrieved from, 1984. . Httpswwwnytimescom19831201business-
Intell.-Build.
Thomas, W.D., Duffy, J.J., 2013. Energy performance of net-zero and near net-zero energy
homes in New England. Energy Build. 67, 551–558.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2013.08.047
Tleuken, A., Tokazhanov, G., Guney, M., Turkyilmaz, A., Karaca, F., 2021. Readiness
Assessment of Green Building Certification Systems for Residential Buildings during
Pandemics. Sustainability 13, 460. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020460
Tønnessen, Ø., Dhir, A., Flåten, B.-T., 2021. Digital knowledge sharing and creative
performance: Work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Technol. Forecast.
Soc. Change 170, 120866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.120866
UN-Habitat (Ed.), 2013. Prosperity of cities, The state of the world’s cities. Routledge [u.a.],
New York, NY.
United Nations, 2020. Policy Brief: COVID-19 and the Need for Action on Mental Health.
United Nations Human Settlements Programme (Ed.), 2005. Financing urban shelter: global
report on human settlements, 2005. Earthscan, London ; Sterling, VA.
van der Voordt, T.J.M., 2004. Productivity and employee satisfaction in flexible workplaces.
J. Corp. Real Estate 6, 133–148. https://doi.org/10.1108/14630010410812306
van Meel, J., Vos, P., 2001. Funky offices: Reflections on office design in the ‘new economy.’
J. Corp. Real Estate 3, 322–334. https://doi.org/10.1108/14630010110811661
215
Verma, P., 2017. Classroom Occupancy-based Human Resource Optimization using Sensor-
and WiFi-based Location Tracking. https://doi.org/10.7939/R3HT2GQ36
Vitruvius Pollio, M., 40AD. De Architecturae, Ten books on architecture.
von Zumbusch, J.S.H., Lalicic, L., 2020. The role of co-living spaces in digital nomads’ well-
being. Inf. Technol. Tour. 22, 439–453. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-020-00182-2
Walbe Ornstein, S., 2005. Post- Occupancy evaluation in Brazil. OECD/PEB.
Walsh, I., 2015. Using quantitative data in mixed-design grounded theory studies: an enhanced
path to formal grounded theory in information systems. Eur. J. Inf. Syst. 24, 531–557.
https://doi.org/10.1057/ejis.2014.23
Wang, Y., Shao, L., 2018. Understanding occupancy and user behaviour through Wi-Fi-based
indoor positioning. Build. Res. Inf. 46, 725–737.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2018.1378498
Weijs-Perrée, M., van de Koevering, J., Appel-Meulenbroek, R., Arentze, T., 2019. Analysing
user preferences for co-working space characteristics. Build. Res. Inf. 47, 534–548.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2018.1463750
Wetzstein, S., 2017. The global urban housing affordability crisis. Urban Stud. 54, 3159–3177.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098017711649
Whyte, J., Gann, D.M., 2001. Closing the loop between design and use: post-occupancy
evaluation. Build. Res. Inf. 29, 460–462. https://doi.org/10.1080/09613210110072683
Widdicombe, L., 2016. Happy Together. New Yorker.
Wilke, U., Haldi, F., Scartezzini, J.-L., Robinson, D., 2013. A bottom-up stochastic model to
predict building occupants’ time-dependent activities. Build. Environ. 60, 254–264.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2012.10.021
Willcocks, L., Lester, S., 1996. Beyond the IT productivity paradox. Eur. Manag. J. 14, 279–
290. https://doi.org/10.1016/0263-2373(96)00007-2
Williams, J., 2005. Designing Neighbourhoods for Social Interaction: The Case of Cohousing.
J. Urban Des. 10, 195–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/13574800500086998
Yan, D., Hong, T., Dong, B., Mahdavi, A., D’Oca, S., Gaetani, I., Feng, X., 2017. IEA EBC
Annex 66: Definition and simulation of occupant behavior in buildings. Energy Build.
156, 258–270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2017.09.084
Zhao, D., McCoy, A.P., Du, J., Agee, P., Lu, Y., 2017. Interaction effects of building
technology and resident behavior on energy consumption in residential buildings.
Energy Build. 134, 223–233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2016.10.049
216
Zimring, C.M., Reizenstein, J.E., 1980. Post-Occupancy Evaluation: An Overview. Environ.

Behav. 12, 429–450. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916580124002
217
ACRONYMNS
Digital POE Tool Digital Post Occupancy Evaluation Spatial Assessment Framework
(The Tool)
ABW Activity-based working
ABO Activity Based Office
AC Air-conditioning
AEC Architecture, engineering construction professionals
AP Access Point
API Application Programming Interface
BICG Business Innovation Consulting Group
BIM Building Information Modelling
BREEAM Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019
DAR Minimum measurable area space distinguished by the measurement tool
DI-DY Digital Dynamics. Company Experience® assessment framework
developed within BICG to understand and improve the experience of
clients and employees at an organisation.
ETL Extract,transform, load
GDPR General Data Protection Regulation
HCD Human-centred design
IB Intelligent Building
ICT Information, Communication and Technology
IEA EBC International Energy Agency Energy in Buildings and Communities
Programme
KPI Key Performance Indicator
LM Lux Meter
NUA Net Usable Area
POE Post-Occupancy Evaluation
PowerBI A business analytics platform from Microsoft enabling user friendly
visualization and interactions for behavioural analysis and sustainability
decision making
218
QMs Quantitative manual “self-registering”

QMv Quantitative manual “viewers”
QD Quantitative digital
RACI Responsibility assignment matrix
SEM Smart Electricity Meter
SLM Sound Level Meter
SP Space Profiles
SSID Service Set Identifier
SWM Smart Water Meter
TAG Input entry by Coliver
Tableau An interactive data visualization software company focused on business
intelligence
VAS Value-added services
Wi-Fi Wireless local area network
219
ANNEXES
220
221
Annex A: Data sources Flashcards
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
Annex B: Case Study Data collection
All the raw data for both case studies is property of "Business Innovation Consulting Group"
(BICG) and Urban Campus. Facilitated upon request. Raw data is not included due to GDPR
data protection laws.
230
Figure 86 Example of informed letter of consent
231
Annex C: Digital POE Methodology Questionnaire
The following are the screenshots of the online questionnary to fill in the Digital POE
Methodology online.
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
Annex D: Digital POE Tool Questionnaire
The following are the screenshots of the online questionnary to fill in the Digital POE
Methodology online.
241
242
243
244
245
Annex E: Post Occupancy Evaluation of completed construction works
BREEAM Certification Article copied from BREEAM 2020.
Introduction
Definition from BREEAM in use V6 2020. POE evaluation: Man 05 Aftercare - (Designing
Buildings, 2021)
Continual learning and dissemination of acquired knowledge holds the key to shaping the
future of projects and practices.
The Home Quality Mark One, Technical Manual SD239, England, Scotland & Wales,
published by BRE in 2018, states that: 'Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) is the umbrella term
for the process of obtaining feedback on the performance of a recently completed new building
or refurbishment. Over time the value of POE has been recognised not only as a one off
evaluation of a recently completed project, but as an ongoing assessment process for any
building in use that should be conducted at regular intervals over the building’s life cycle.'
Post occupancy evaluation can be used to evaluate a development to determine:
• How successful its delivery was?
• How successful the completed development is.
• Where there is potential for further improvement
• What lessons can be learned for future projects.
The concept originally surfaced in the 1970s, but the resurgence in POE today is being driven
by tighter environmental targets, new regulations and the focus on a more sustainable approach.
246
It is central to improving the performance of low- and zero-carbon building design, and vital
for sustainable construction.
The process of post occupancy evaluation can be visualized as part of the building lifecycle,
where information learnt from an operational (and occupied) project can be used to inform
decisions at all the stages in the design and operational life of a future building.
[Image courtesy Buro Happold]

Post occupancy evaluation can be particularly valuable to repeat developers and may be a
requirement of some funding bodies. It may be carried out by a consultant, by independent
client advisers, or by an in-house team established by the client. It may also be part of a wider
aftercare service such as that outlined by the soft-landings framework.
However, as post occupancy evaluation is likely to take place after the main construction
contract has been completed, consultant team appointments may also be completed unless post-
occupation services were a specific requirement of the original appointments.
Ideally, the client should commit to carrying out post occupancy evaluation at the beginning of
the project so that appointment agreements and briefing documents include requirements to
test whether objectives were achieved.
Post occupancy evaluation may comprise two studies:
• A post-project review to evaluate the project delivery process.
• An assessment of performance in use.
Post project review
A post project review may begin during the defects liability period.
247
When the development is first occupied by the client, it is important to visit the site immediately
to identify any issues that need to be addressed quickly. It can be beneficial to establish a help-
desk and rapid response team to resolve issues as they arise.
A post-project review is undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the project
delivery process. To undertake a post-project review, it is important to seek the views of
contractors, designers, suppliers and the client about how well the project was managed. This
may include assessments of how well the delivery of the project performed against key
performance indicators, such as:
• The quality of briefing documents.
• The effectiveness of communications.
• The performance of the project team.
• Quality issues.
• Health and safety issues.
• Certification.
• Variations.
• Claims and disputes.
• Collaborative practices.
Performance in use
Generally, performance in use assessments cannot begin until 6 to 12 months after occupation,
as operations may not be properly established and the building will not have operated in all
seasons. They may then be part of a continuous process.
An assessment of performance in use can include:
Business objectives
• The achievement of business case objectives.
• Whole-life costs and benefits against those forecast.
• Whether the project continues to comply with the business strategy.
• Whether operations have improved.
• The resilience of the development and business to change.
• Business and user satisfaction (including staff and user retention and motivation).
Design evaluation
• The effectiveness of the space planning.
• Aesthetic quality.
• The standards of lighting, acoustic environment, ventilation, temperature and humidity.
248
• Air-pollution and air quality.

• User comfort.
• Maintenance and occupancy costs.
• Defects.
• The balance between capital and running costs.
• An assessment of whether the development is being operated as designed.
• Environmental and energy consumption in use.
249
250
251

Alicia Regodon Puyalto 01

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Alicia Regodon Puyalto 01

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

UNIVERSIDAD POLITÉCNICA DE MADRID

ESCUELA TÉCNICA SUPERIOR DE ARQUITECTURA DE MADRID

Methodology for spatial optimization based on the

Departamento de Construcción y Tecnología Arquitectónicas, Escuela Técnica Superior

Methodology for spatial assessment based on the digital trail

Tribunal nombrado por el Sr. Rector Magfco. De la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, el

Realizado el acto de defensa y lectura de la Tesis el día .......... de ............................. de 20......

EL PRESIDENTE LOS VOCALES

I acknowledge the support of the Technical University of

I acknowledge the support The University of Sydney

I acknowledge the support of BICG. The current thesis was

Acknowledgement to Urbancampus, for supporting the

A los anónimos y anónimas

Keywords: Human-centred design, Post-Occupancy Evaluation; sustainability; space profiling;

la tecnología se implementaba sobre todo para mejorar el proceso de construcción de los

Palabras clave: Diseño centrado en el ser humano, evaluación posterior a la ocupación;

PROFESSIONAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................... V

PERSONAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................. VII

RESUMEN (SPANISH) .................................................................................................................................. XIII

TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................................... 1

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 5

1.1 MOTIVATION ................................................................................................................................................... 7

CHAPTER II THESIS METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................. 19

2.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 21

CHAPTER III STATE OF THE ART .................................................................................................................... 29

3.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 31

CHAPTER IV DIGITAL POE TOOL ................................................................................................................... 60

4.1 STAGE 1: DIGITAL POE METHODOLOGY............................................................................................................ 62

4.5 CONCLUSIONS CHAPTER IV ............................................................................................................................... 88

CHAPTER V CASE STUDY 1............................................................................................................................ 92

5.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 94

CHAPTER VI CASE STUDY 2......................................................................................................................... 123

6.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................ 125

CHAPTER VII ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS ....................................................................... 157

7.1 DIGITAL POE METHODOLOGY. DIGITAL MATURITY INDEXES ................................................................................. 159

FINAL CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................................. 181

CONCLUSIONES FINALES (SPANISH) ........................................................................................................... 187

FUTURE LINES OF RESEARCH...................................................................................................................... 190

INDEX OF TABLES....................................................................................................................................... 195

INDEX OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................................... 198

BIBLIOGRAPHY .......................................................................................................................................... 202

ACRONYMNS ............................................................................................................................................. 218

ANNEXES ................................................................................................................................................... 220

ANNEX A: DATA SOURCES FLASHCARDS .................................................................................................................. 222

Technology is the answer, but what was the question?

Figure 1 V.U.C.A. Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous. Definition (slfcrisis.com)

The hypothesis of the current research is the following:

The main objective (Objective 1) of this thesis is to:

Premises for the objective 1:

The secondary objectives of the current research are:

1.4 Thesis structure and processes map

Figure 3 Research questions (author design)

Figure 4 Thesis structure & progress map (author design)

CHAPTER II THESIS METHODOLOGY

The following thesis methodological approach is a structured framework of the study

Figure 5 Thesis methodological framework approach (author design)

Table 1 Thesis methodological timeline (author design)

Figure 6 State of the art definition (author design)

Figure 7 Digital POE Methodology

Figure 8 Digital POE Tool

Figure 9 Wi-Fi methodology process scheme (author design)

CHAPTER III STATE OF THE ART

Figure 10 State of the art structure

3.2 Flexible Spaces