A post-occupancy evaluation of a green rated and conventional on-campus residence hall

Green buildings increasingly attract attention in the real estate sector, and the United States is no exception. Studies indicate that green rated buildings may bring higher rents and sales prices. One reason for this inequity is that the indoor environment of these buildings may outperform conventional buildings. The main objective of this paper is to conduct a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) to compare the indoor environment in a LEED certified, on-campus residence hall with a similar, non-green rated residence hall. Results are evaluated to determine if green buildings really outperform. The results suggest that the green rated building outperformed the conventional building in the majority of the indoor environmental aspects, but not all. These results can inform a cost-benefit analysis of green features for new construction and refurbishments.