The need for post-occupancy evaluation of public apartment buildings in Ghana

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine and show why post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of public apartment buildings in Ghana as a product of design is important. Design/methodology/approach – By design the paper is descriptive. It uses a literature review as a method to summarize, synthesize and show the gaps in the existing knowledge on public apartment buildings in general and Ghana in particular. These arguments are brought together in a conceptual framework for approaching POE studies. Findings – This paper finds that gaps exist in the existing POE research knowledge regarding public apartment buildings in Ghana not only as residential settings but also as designed artifacts intended for use. Research limitations/implications – There is a need for scientific research which focus on the design and use of public apartment buildings in Ghana to provide empirical basis for design, policy and research decision-making. Social implications – This paper shows that occupants' feedback information is important, as it can benefits government, designers and builders, building regulators and managers, as well as end users. Originality/value – The paper contributes a conceptual framework based on which POE studies can be designed.