Pre-Occupancy Evaluation based on user behavior prediction in 3D virtual simulation

Because Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE), one of the most commonly used design evaluation methods, is conducted by users after the completion of construction, it has time and cost limitations for the improvement of physical conditions. To solve this problem, this study proposes a method of Pre-Occupancy Evaluation (PrOE) which can evaluate and improve a design prior to construction by simulating user behavior in the virtual space of the design. A user model, space model and evaluation logic model are used for the evaluation simulation. In the simulation, a virtual user perceives 3D spatial objects within a target virtual space and performs reactions to the perceived objects according to an evaluation logic. The evaluation logic model consists of spatial properties that influence user behavior, and their assessed values. To verify the proposed method, burglary prediction in an urban block was carried out as a case study. The proposed PrOE can overcome the limitation of the conventional approach of design evaluation in that it evaluates designs in advance by reflecting on user requirements, thus making efficient design improvements possible.