A virtual reality integrated design approach to improving occupancy information integrity for closing the building energy performance gap

摘要: Abstract The energy performance gap has been realized to be a significant barrier achieving low buildings. A predominant reason of the resides with uncertainties occupancy information, which leads inappropriate design, unnecessary consumption and operation misconducts occupants. Traditional methods collecting information mainly rely on statistics from post-occupancy evaluations (Post-OE). However, there is lack use pre-occupancy evaluation (Pre-OE) understand interaction between occupant behavior building design alternatives. aim this paper thus develop virtual reality (VR) integrated approach improving integrity in process order close gap. Pre-OE framework first constructed enable VR technology help designers collect identify patterns that guide occupants behave most energy-efficient way. then validated through case study lighting control typical residential flat Hong Kong. results suggest developed can facilitate understanding occupants’ identifying alternatives perform accordance intentions. adoption higher-level technologies multi-criteria decision-making advocated for future research.