Purpose This study aims to investigate why validated post-occupancy evaluation (POE) tools remain marginal in workplace design practice despite their widespread availability and the growing emphasis on evidence-based workplace decision-making. While previous research has identified barriers to POE adoption, less is known about how workplace practitioners collect, interpret and translate user-related information into workplace design decisions. Design/methodology/approach Sixteen semi-structured expert interviews were conducted with workplace designers, architects and workplace consultants operating primarily in Germany. Interviews explored project workflows, methods for understanding user needs, questionnaire use and approaches to translating user feedback into design decisions. Data were analysed using an inductive qualitative coding process. Findings Workspace design operates through interpretive and narrative forms of reasoning rather than standardised evaluation. Workshops and conversations dominated user engagement, while questionnaires served communicative rather than analytical purposes. The study identifies an “interpretation gap”: the absence of frameworks that help practitioners translate evaluation outputs into concrete spatial decisions, causing user feedback to remain disconnected from design action despite practitioners’ genuine interest in evidence. Research limitations/implications The study draws on a qualitative sample of 16 practitioners, providing analytical rather than statistical generalisation. Future research should test these patterns in larger samples and develop methods that better support the translation of user feedback into spatial design decisions. Practical implications The findings suggest that improving workplace evaluation practice requires more than increasing the availability of measurement tools. Future POE approaches should focus on interpretive usability by providing mechanisms that connect user feedback to workplace planning and design decisions. In addition, organisations commissioning workplace projects may strengthen organisational learning by embedding POE within project governance and ensuring that evaluation findings inform subsequent workplace strategies and project briefs. Originality/value This study contributes to workplace design and corporate real estate research by introducing the concept of the interpretation gap, describing the disconnect between evaluation outputs and workplace design action. While previous research has documented the limited uptake of POE tools and identified barriers to their adoption, this study explains why evaluation data often fails to influence design decisions even when it is available. By linking theories of reflective practice and design cognition with empirical evidence from workplace professionals, the study offers a new perspective on the relationship between workplace evaluation and design practice.
Purpose Previous studies on coworking spaces have mainly concentrated on location determinants and their effects on the immediate environment. Much of the research relies on data from developed countries, leaving a significant gap in user-centred perspectives in less-studied contexts, particularly before, during, and after COVID. This study aims to address this gap by examining the ranking for specific design attributes and exploring the underlying motivations for using coworking spaces in Windhoek, Namibia. Design/methodology/approach Self-administered questionnaires were sent to users of coworking spaces in Namibia, and the results were analysed using descriptive statistics and the Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests. Findings The study found that affordable accommodation, a sense of community, a vibrant and creative atmosphere and the company’s professional appearance were the top motivations for using coworking spaces. Accessibility, digital accessibility and diversity in supply spaces are perceived as the most important attributes of coworking spaces in Namibia. Post hoc comparisons of the Kruskal–Wallis test revealed significant mean differences in ranked attributes for ordinary internet between the periods before and after the COVID-19 pandemic and between the periods during and after the pandemic. Originality/value Few studies have examined the influence of the period of use of coworking preferences (pre-, during and post-COVID) in a developing-country context.
Purpose University campuses are complex workplaces where academic and administrative staff experience institutional culture daily. Despite the expansion of sustainability agendas, empirical evidence on how workplace conditions managed through corporate real estate (CRE) and facility management (FM) functions contribute to social sustainability remains limited. This study aims to prioritise workplace experience factors that advance social sustainability and develops a CRE/FM-oriented decision framework for strategic action. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-method design was used. A structured literature review identified criteria for physical, institutional and social workplace experiences related to employee well-being and social sustainability. Based on this framework, an AHP (the analytic hierarchy process) model was developed and applied using pairwise comparison data from 87 academic and administrative staff members at a university campus in Turkiye. Aggregated weights were calculated, and demographic segmentation analyses examined variations by position, age and experience. Findings Social factors are the most influential dimension of workplace experience (41%), exceeding physical (38%) and institutional (20%) factors. Non-discrimination ranked highest, followed by occupational health and safety, and accessibility and comfort of work areas. Environmental sustainability received the lowest priority, revealing a gap between institutional narratives and employees’ lived experiences. Demographic differences highlight the need for differentiated FM strategies. The framework translates social sustainability into actionable FM service and investment priorities. Originality/value This study presents one of the first AHP-based frameworks that integrates corporate real estate, facility management, workplace experience and social sustainability in higher education. By translating social sustainability into prioritised, actionable facility-related criteria, it offers a transferable tool for evidence-based campus planning, inclusive workplace governance and strategic CRE/FM decision-making.
