Performance benchmarks for non-domestic buildings: Towards user perception benchmarks

While the indoor environment can affect occupants' perceptions of their comfort, health and productivity in buildings, little information exists on what would constitute appropriate benchmarks for these matters. If users' perceptions of building performance are to be addressed and improved, then it is essential to have a reliable, standardized set of benchmarks against which to measure them. A pilot study is presented that tested a range of benchmarking approaches using a small dataset of 30 commercial and institutional buildings. The database included the mean scores from each of the 30 buildings for each indoor environmental quality question in the Building Use Studies (BUS) questionnaire, including those on lighting, comfort, noise and the like. This dataset allowed exploration of the construction of potential benchmarks and the demonstration of systems that could be replicated internationally. It was found to be feasible to establish benchmarks from the questionnaire data received. The variety of forms these benchmarks can take is demonstrated; and the advantages and disadvantages of each are described. For example, absolute benchmarks had the advantage of being able to be assessed without the need for a representative sample, while relative benchmarks gave an assessment of how each variable rated against a larger dataset.