Performance assessment of adaptively reused heritage buildings via post-occupancy evaluation: Kilis Eski Hamam case study

In contemporary conservation theory and practice, adaptive reuse is considered an important strategy towards the conservation of heritage buildings. However, adaptive reuse projects often involve wrong decisions and practices. Heritage buildings are damaged in many ways both during the adaptation and reuse processes, directly bearing on the performance of the building, as well as the satisfaction of its users. This master's thesis argues that post-occupancy evaluations (POEs) can be used as an effective tool to ensure the preservation of adaptively reused heritage buildings without any damage to their original characteristics while maintaining the expected sociocultural, ecological and economic benefits of adaptive reuse; for POEs not only give feedback about the assessed building but also "feedforward" to develop design guidance and criteria for future projects. This thesis presents the findings of a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of an adaptively reused heritage building to a restaurant, as a case study. The POE was conducted to evaluate the performance of the adapted building with regards to functional, environmental, spatial and cultural perception elements. A review of literature was performed to identify the performance elements pertaining to the new use of the building. The study employed multiple data collection methods, including a walkthrough tour, interviews and a user survey. In conclusion, the POE has pointed to evident damage in the building by being reused, resulting in the development of a series of recommendations to prevent future deterioration and to improve the performance of the building. A key observation is that the views of the users on the reuse of the building do not coincide with the findings based on international heritage conservation criteria, which indicates that conservation awareness still has not been gained by the wider society. The conclusion is that, while POEs are an appropriate and effective method in evaluating adaptively reused heritage buildings, they should not necessarily rely on user feedback.