Design/methodology/approach -The paper analyses published literature to review knowledge areas pertaining to technical and functional performance requirement elements in student housing facilities. Past maintenance work orders for the building were evaluated and analysed for the purpose of identifying frequent and major areas of complaints and discomfort to the occupants. A user satisfaction survey was developed to obtain the students' indicative feedback on their experience with the 48 identified performance elements. Findings -The findings of the survey were analysed and reported to describe the degree of satisfaction with the identified performance elements. The paper examined the extent to which various success factors in the student housing facility had been realised. Originality/value -A post-occupancy evaluation can provide valuable feedback to planners, design professionals, housing administrators and facility managers involved in the planning, design and operation of student housing facilities. Post-occupancy evaluation can assist in continually improving the quality and performance of the student housing facilities they design, construct, operate and maintain.

PurposeThe objectives of this paper are to identify the critical factors that influence the decision to outsource maintenance services in public Saudi Arabian universities, and to investigate the relative importance of each of the identified factors based on the expressed opinions of the in‐house maintenance managers in the concerned maintenance departments in these universities.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a comprehensive review of the literature in the fields of maintenance management and outsourcing practices to achieve a thorough understanding of the issues involved, and identifying the crucial factors affecting the outsourcing decision of maintenance services. A questionnaire survey was developed to assess each factor influencing the decision to outsource maintenance services in the public Saudi Arabian universities. The survey included 38 factors grouped in six major groups. The respondents who have opted to outsource several of their maintenance services to specialty contractors were asked to indicate their perceived level of importance for each of the identified factors. The level of importance of the factors and the groups were measured. The factor groups were ranked according to the obtained mean rating values.FindingsThe findings show that Saudi universities generally value the importance of the quality, management and strategic factors when making outsourcing decisions. The most important three factors influencing the decision to outsource maintenance services in the public Saudi Arabia universities were identified as “increase the speed of implementation”, “improve quality requirements” and “risk sharing with contractors”.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study provide practical value for facilities maintenance managers in institutions of higher education confronted with the decision of whether to outsource maintenance services in their campuses.Originality/valueThe paper is original in the sense that it identifies how in‐house maintenance managers rate the importance of the factors influencing outsourcing decisions.

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This paper presents the findings of an indicative assessment of the existing indoor environmental qualities (i.e. thermal, acoustical, visual comfort and indoor air quality) in a representative sample of a type of student housing facility at the campus of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Published literature has been analysed to review knowledge areas pertaining to the uses and benefits of post-occupancy evaluation and indoor environmental requirements for student housing facilities. Past maintenance work orders for the building evaluated in this study have been analysed to identify frequent and major areas of complaint and discomfort for the occupants. A user satisfaction survey was developed to obtain the students' qualitative feedback on their experience with the designed indoor environment. The findings of the survey were analysed and reported to describe the degree of satisfaction with the identified performance requirements for the indoor environment. The main purpose of conducting the assessment was to determine whether or not design decisions made by design professionals provide the performance needed by the student residents. This paper is of practical value to planners, design professionals, housing administrators and facility managers involved in the planning, design and operation of such facilities. Facility managers, if involved in the early design stages of the project, should ensure that the provision and up-keep of the performance requirements presented in this paper are properly addressed in the client's brief.