Invitation to participate in a research project: Building Use
Studies survey
School of Property, Construction and Project Management
Urban learning lab: Learning from SAB
Investigators:



Dr Ian Ridley, PhD, MSc, BSc (Hons)
Ph: 03 9925 8246; Email: Ian.ridley@rmit.edu.au
A/Prof Usha Iyer-Raniga, PhD
Ph: 03 9925 9066; Email: usha.iyer-raniga@rmit.edu.au
Dr Trivess Moore, PhD, BEnvSc (Hons)
Ph: 03 9925 9071; Email: Trivess.moore@rmit.edu.au
Dear Participant,
You are invited to participate in a research project being conducted by RMIT University. Please read this
information sheet carefully and be confident that you understand its contents before deciding whether to
participate. If you have any questions about the project, please ask one of the investigators.
Who is involved in this research project? Why is it being conducted?
My name is Dr Ian Ridley and I am the lead researcher of this project. Other members of the RMIT
University research team are Associate Professor Usha Iyer-Raniga (Deputy Head, International, School
of Property, Construction and Project Management) and Dr Trivess Moore (Research Fellow, School of
Global, Urban and Social Studies). The project is approved by the RMIT Human Research Ethics
Committee and is funded by RMIT University.
RMIT University is undertaking this research to develop a comprehensive case study of the development,
construction and use of the Swanston Academic Building (SAB). Outcomes of the research will assist
RMIT University to improve future building developments, along with creating a living case study for
integration into student curriculum.
What is the project about? What are the questions being addressed?
The purpose of the research is to undertake a detailed post-occupancy evaluation (POE) which will
include analysis of both the physical building performance and feedback from stakeholders of the
building, including those involved in the development and construction of the building.
The project aims to ask the following questions:
1. How is the building performing in terms of key criteria (both technical performance and social
outcomes)?
2. To what extent has SAB achieved its initial objectives?
3. What has worked well in the planning, design, construction and operation phases of the building
life?
4. What have been some of the key issues/challenges in the planning, design, construction and
operation phases of the building life?
5. What learnings could be applied to future RMIT building developments?
6. Can student engagement in a living case study improve teaching and learning outcomes?
The research will be carried out over 2014 and involve a number of different activities, including: face-toface interviews, surveys and monitoring of the building performance. Key stakeholders who were or are
involved in the planning, design, construction and operation/use of SAB will be invited to participate in the
project.
HREC Number: 0000016409-01/14 Version 1: March 2014
Why have you been approached?
You have been approached to be part of this research as you have been identified as someone who uses
SAB in some capacity. Participation in the project is voluntary. If you chose not to participate in the project
there will be no disadvantages to you.
If I agree to participate, what will I be required to do?
Involvement in this part of the project involves agreeing to undertake in a Building Use Studies (BUS)
survey. This survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete and you have two weeks to complete
the survey. The survey asks questions about elements of SAB such as heating and cooling, noise,
lighting and the design of building. The responses to the survey will be collated and analysed by the RMIT
research team. All responses will remain anonymous.
What are the possible risks or disadvantages?
The possible risks to you are small. There are no perceived risks outside of your normal daily activities.
However, if you are unduly concerned about your responses to any of the survey questions you should
contact a member of the research team as soon as convenient and they can discuss what action will be
appropriate to resolve the situation.
What are the benefits associated with participation?
While there may be no direct benefits associated with participation for yourself, the broader benefits of
participating in this research are that it provides you with an opportunity to reflect on your experiences of
using the SAB. This will allow you to identify elements which work well, and those which do not work well
to ensure that future RMIT building projects can learn from the outcomes of this building.
The findings of the research will be shared (anonymously) with RMIT University with the aim of improving
future building projects around RMIT University.
What will happen to the information I provide?
Your confidentiality and anonymity will be protected. All surveys will be treated confidentially and not used
for any purpose outside of the research. Data that identifies you will only be seen by members of the
research team.
The outcomes from the project may be presented at conferences and published in academic journals and
reports. No information will be included which could identify any person, household or business. This will
be achieved by using non-identifying codes or pseudonyms for all information collected and any results
published will contain group data only. You can request access to this information at any time.
All information will be kept for 5 years and stored securely on RMIT University premises before being
destroyed. Only the research team will have access to the raw or coded information. You can request
access to the information collected about you at any time.
What are my rights as a participant?
As a participant in this research, you will have:
 The right to withdraw from participation at any time.
 The right to have any unprocessed data withdrawn and destroyed, provided it can be reliably
identified, and provided that doing so will not increase the risk to you.
 The right to have any questions answered at any time.
A summary of our research outcomes will be provided to participants, if they wish to receive it. Please
feel free to call me at any time if you have any questions or concerns, or if you would like to discuss any
aspects of this research.
HREC Number: 0000016409-01/14 Version 1: March 2014
Thank you very much for your time.
Dr Ian Ridley, PhD, MSc, BSc (Hons)
Vice Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow, PCPM
GPO Box 2476
Melbourne VIC 3001
Ph: 03 9925 8246
Email: ian.ridley@rmit.edu.au
Associate Professor Usha Iyer-Raniga, PhD
Deputy Head, International
Researcher, Sustainable Building Innovation Lab
School of Property, Construction and Project Management (PCPM)
GPO Box 2476
Melbourne VIC 3001
Ph: 03 9925 9066
Email: usha.iyer-raniga@rmit.edu.au
Dr Trivess Moore, PhD, BSc Env (Hons)
Research Fellow, School of Global Urban and Social Studies
GPO Box 2476
Melbourne VIC 3001
Ph: 03 9925 9071
Email: Trivess.moore@rmit.edu.au
Any complaints about your participation in this project may be directed to the Executive Officer,
RMIT Human Research Ethics Committee, Research & Innovation, RMIT, GPO Box 2476V,
Melbourne, 3001. Details of the complaints procedure are available at:
http://www.rmit.edu.au/rd/hrec_complaints
HREC Number: 0000016409-01/14 Version 1: March 2014