An Evaluation of Space Utilisation and Efficiency in Institutions of Higher Learning: The Case of University of Botswana, Building 248 Lecture Rooms

Abstract To meet the growing demands for space overtime, it is best to ensure that the available spaces are utilised efficiently. The study attempted to provide a thorough evaluation of the level of utilization of lecture rooms in Building 248 of the University of Botswana. This was done by providing a comparison between the scheduled use of lecture rooms against the actual use of the rooms as well as availability against usability. The objectives of this study were; to determine the utilization rate of lecture rooms in building 248, to assess the factors which affect utilization rate of lecture rooms in building 248 and lastly to provide guidelines on improving utilization of lecture rooms in building 248. Data was collected through the use of questionnaires which were administered to building occupants (students, lecturers and facility managers) of building 248. The study used a quantitative approach to establish the vast knowledge regarding the utilization of space in a building. This included empirical data from the room scheduling office which provided information on the utilization rate of lecture rooms. The findings reveal that the lecture room spaces in building 248 were underutilized as they were below the acceptable benchmark of 75% for all spaces used for educational purposes. The findings revealed that factors such as criteria used by university to allocate lecture rooms, room scheduling policy and traditional mode of learning have the potential to affect the utilization rate of lecture rooms to some extent. The researcher also found out that there is no significant difference between the scheduled use and the actual use of the lecture room spaces in building 248. However, there was a significant difference between scheduled, actual capacity/available lecture room utilisation. There should be an implementation of a space management system to help manage the lecture room spaces in building 248. In addition, there should be in place a room allocation and utilization policy to govern how rooms are utilized and also to set standards and regulations on the criteria to adopt when allocating rooms for use in the university. The study will also allow the reader to decipher the numerous possibilities on the measures and practices which can improve the utilization of space. Those who stand to benefit from this study are facility managers, valuers, architects and most importantly the Room Scheduling office in the university as this study raises awareness on the importance of incorporating space efficiency in a building and the utilization of the available space. In addition, this study might help the university management decision-making on the possibility of increasing overall enrolment rate of students as there is enough available space to accommodate more students than what the rooms are accommodating at the moment. Professionals and stakeholders are among those who will benefit from this study as it adds to the body of knowledge in Botswana. There has never been a study like this particular one in Botswana.