Architect S. S. Ray’s Performance Appraisal Model for School Buildings offers a systematic method of assessing school buildings on the basis of spatial performance and users satisfaction after occupation. The model was formulated to address the constraints of conventional design practices, which utilized intuitive techniques with limited post-occupation feedback. It tries to apply objective factors to measure to what extent school buildings perform in reality, especially as far as human usage, environmental comfort, and planning space are concerned.
The study was intended to address inefficiencies arising from poor design, underutilization of space, and user discomfort. It focuses on evaluating completed school buildings through both qualitative and quantitative methods. A comparative analysis of existing appraisal systems, namely, the PAK mathematical model, the Quality Quotient theoretical model, and the computerised PACE model, was conducted. These models were tested on selected school buildings to identify their limitations, especially in capturing user experience. In addition to this comparative study, the research involved analytical assessment of architectural spaces, user interviews, observational studies, and behavior mapping to understand responses to the school environment. Data collected from these methods was used to develop a new framework more closely aligned with real-world educational building use.
The appraisal framework is built around four major categories: external microclimate, physical environment, aesthetic and emotional environment, and user satisfaction. Each category includes specific criteria evaluated on a seven-point semantic scale, ranging from “very good” (+3) to “very bad” (–3). The external microclimate component includes orientation, accessibility, circulation, resources, and site services. The Physical Environment section addresses measurable environmental factors such as thermal comfort, lighting, ventilation, odor, and acoustics. The Aesthetic and Emotional Environment section evaluates visual aspects of the school space, including form, shape, color, texture, and proportions. The User Satisfaction component assesses spatial layout, compactness, flexibility, circulation, and grouping of functional areas like classrooms, dining halls, and administrative zones.
The scores for every parameter are tabulated to find an aggregate performance score. An innovative aspect of the model is the application of a “performance square,” which is a graphical tool that plots every category along an axis and forms a quadrilateral whose area is the school building’s aggregate score. This is then transformed into a percentage out of 100. On the basis of the final score, buildings are graded into performance bands: Excellent (75 and higher), Good (65 to 74), Fair (55 to 64), and Poor (lower than 55). Through this, the model provides for a visual and quantitative comparison of school building performance across key architectural and experiential dimensions.
The findings indicate that many school buildings fall short in one or more areas of spatial performance, often due to inadequate consideration of end-user needs during the design stage. The model highlights the importance of integrating environmental efficiency and user feedback into the architectural process. By formalizing a post-occupancy appraisal system, the S.S.Ray model offers a method to assess design effectiveness, identify areas of improvement, and inform future school building projects. Although it was developed specifically for educational institutions, the structure of the model allows for adaptation to other building types where user comfort and spatial quality are critical to performance.
