INTEGRATION OF ECO-FRIENDLY DESIGN PRINCIPLES IN THE DESIGN OF MIXED-USE BUILDING, ABUJA, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

Buildings account for a large amount of land use, energy and water consumption, air and atmosphere alteration. Considering the statistics and the impact of the built environment on human health as well as the natural environment, reducing the number of natural resources consumed by the buildings industry and the amount of pollution given off is seen as critical to achieve a sustainable environment. Eco-friendly buildings are expected to reduce greenhouse gases, save the natural resources and meet the users’ justifiable demand for more comfort and safety; in addition to their promising projected value within the global economy. This study aimed at assessing the principles of eco- friendly design for its effective application in the design of mixed-use building developments in Nigeria. The methodology adopted is the descriptive research method which  involved  an  in  depth  review  of  literature  related  to  the  study,  observation schedule and selection of foreign and local Case studies to compare and deduce data concerning eco-friendly and mixed-use buildings, and field surveys to obtain data on some of the selected case studies. It employed the descriptive research method including review of literature related to the study, observation schedule and case study. This study established a design framework from the findings, through which a design proposal for a mixed-use building eco-friendly building in  Abuja, Nigeria was developed while implementing eco-friendly design principles. The research concluded that eco-friendly building principles and techniques have five major components namely: energy efficiency and conservation, water efficiency and conservation, materials conservation, waste  reduction,  reuse  and  recycling  and  humane  adaptation.  Adopting  these  five criteria in the design and construction of buildings in Nigeria will improve the environment by reducing the negative impacts of buildings, as recommended by the study.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0         INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study

Our built environment has significant impacts on people, and the environment, it affects the air quality, transportation patterns of communities and the general way of life of both the present and the future generations (Michael et al., 2007). It consumes natural resources, creates employment and property values, and provides shelter for our daily life. The built environment clearly has advantages and disadvantages, we the inhabitants of the earth enjoy the advantages of living in the built environment, while our natural environment suffers the disadvantages of the existence of our built environment. This therefore implies that the friendliest way to handle the natural environment is not to build. However, without the buildings, life can be miserable unbearable (Kolawole, 2005).

The solution is to create a dynamic equilibrium without any form of negative impact especially to the environment (Zubairu, 2012). This dynamic equilibrium will involve creating a built environment that has a significantly low impact on the natural environment. The negative environmental impacts of the built environment have led to the emerging concept of ’green buildings’ (Gunnell, 2009). Green/ Eco-friendly buildings are designed to be energy and water efficient, use non-hazardous materials and provide healthy productive environments and generally have little or no impact on the natural environment (Gunnell, 2009). Eco-friendly buildings represent environmentally friendly structures that have a significantly low impact on the environment.

According to Zane & Peter (2009), Eco-friendly buildings encompasses energy use, water use, and storm-water and wastewater re-use, they combine energy and water efficiency systems, Day Lighting strategies, Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) systems and efficient Building Envelope system to provide comfort and positive impact to the occupants and the environment.

Sustainability through Eco-friendly building practices approach building construction (from design conceptualization and construction to its material usage all through its life- span) with the aim of minimizing harmful effect on human health and environment. It attempts  to  conserve  environmental  factors  such  as  air,  water  and  the  earth  by employing eco-friendly building materials and construction practices.

Eco-friendly/ green building is adopted in developed countries like China, USA, UK, Germany, Japan, Korea and other developed nations, while in developing countries such as Nigeria, buildings with a holistic approach towards environmental sustainability are yet  to  be  seen  because  the  application  of  the  concept  of  green  design  is  almost completely ignored (Dalibi et al., 2017).

1.2       Statement of the Research Problem

Buildings are one of the largest consumers of natural resources  and account for a substantial amount of the greenhouse gas emissions (Yi-Kai et al., 2010). According to UNEP (2007), the building sector accounts for 30–40% of global energy use, buildings not only use resources such as energy and raw materials but they also generate waste and potentially harmful atmospheric emissions (Alnaser et al., 2008).  Lippiatt (1999) argued that construction damages the fragile environment because of adverse impacts of construction, this impacts include resource depletion, biological diversity losses due to raw  material  extraction,  landfill  problems  due  to  waste  generation,  adverse  human health due to poor indoor air quality, global warming, acid  rain, and smog due to emissions generated by building product manufacture and transport that consumes energy.

It is necessary to address the challenges of unsustainable building practices and their effects by adopting sustainable building approach such as eco-friendly architecture. The concept of sustainable development has been studied by many in both developed and developing countries due to increasing impacts of global warming (Akadiri et al., 2012). In the developed world, studies on sustainable development in the construction industry revealed that there are similarities of sustainable practices at the design stage in the North America, Europe and Asia even though there are differences in practices throughout  the life-cycle of a building Bunz  et  al.  (2006).  In  Sub-Saharan  Africa, Olomolaiye et al. (2012) developed a framework for environmentally sustainable building design practices throughout the buildings life cycle i.e. from design to demolition stage.

In Nigeria there are no buildings with a holistic approach to sustainable design, the operating climate for construction remarkably differs from what obtains in Western Europe for instance where there is a strong sustainability drive in the construction sector and a lot of the sources of information helping to shape the practice of sustainable construction originate from outside of Nigeria (Mohammed & Abbakyari, 2016). Thus, this represents a gap between empirical knowledge of eco-friendly building principles adapted to buildings in Western Europe and the principles adapted to buildings in Nigeria. This study evaluates the concepts of eco-friendly designs and the integration of adoptable eco-friendly design principles in Nigeria.

1.3       Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of this study is to assess principles of eco-friendly design for its effective application in the design of mixed-use building developments in Nigeria.

The main objectives of this thesis includes to:

i.    Evaluate the principles of eco-friendly building design applicable to mixed-use building design.

ii.  Identify the principles of eco-friendly building design applicable to mixed-use building design.

iii. Develop/propose a design framework for the application of eco-friendly design principles in mixed-use building.

iv. Demonstrate the application of the eco-friendly design principles in the design of mixed-use building

1.4       Research Justification

In Nigeria, green concept, sustainability and environmental issues are hardly put into consideration when designing a new building or renovating an old one. According to Otegbulu (2011), these results in a short fall in user satisfaction, functional space planning, service type and in addition sustainable building components are often neglected during design and construction. The study is expected to influence policy directives to ensure that environmentally sustainable design practices as a means of reducing energy consumption in Nigeria, managing natural resources and also minimize the impact of buildings on the environment.

The gaps established by this study are expected to influence further empirical studies on environmentally friendly building design practices at the design stage of a building project, the benefits that can be accrued due to the adoption of the practices as well as the challenges that may be faced.

1.5       Scope and Limitation

The study was focuses on the implementation of eco-friendly architecture in building design and construction in Nigeria to ensure energy and water efficiency, waste reduction, use of non-toxic materials, improved indoor air quality and green built environment. The design proposal will consist of residential, commercial, office and leisure areas for the occupants. It shows how eco-friendly strategies can be integrated in the design thereby reducing the negative impact of building design, construction and operation on the natural environment while safeguarding the health and well-being of its occupants or users.

1.6       Limitations

The factors that limited the study are confines from collecting data by observation in some of the case studies due to security reasons and company policies, time constraints and limited access to information due to its unavailability. But however, other measure such as the internet was utilized in collecting data made available by reliable sources such as the LEEDs website.

1.7       Contribution to Knowledge

This thesis contributes to the already existing knowledge on the eco-friendly building in Nigeria. It will provide information on the use of construction techniques, design principles and materials that have low impact on the environment, and also provide optimum comfort to  the  users  of  the  building.  It  will  also  contribute  to  the  worldwide  movement  of sustainable building and living for a better tomorrow.

1.8       The Study Area

Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria (FCT) has a total area of 8000 sq. km and is bounded in the north by Kaduna State, in the west by Niger State, in the east by Nassarawa State and in the south by Kogi State. Abuja officially became the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in 1991 replacing Lagos after 15years of planning and construction.

It is a planned city that was built mainly in the 1980’s. Abuja’s geography is defined by Aso rock, a 400meter (1,300ft) monolith left by water erosion. The city is located between latitude 8.25 and 9.25 north of the equator and longitude 6.45 and 7.39 east of the Greenwich Meridian, in a scenic valley of rolling grasslands which is relatively underdeveloped.

Wuse district is the north-western part of the city, with Maitama District to its north and the Central District to the south. The District is numbered zones one (1) through six (6), the site for the proposed building is located in Wuse district zone 4.

Landmarks in Wuse Include;

1.         The national park for recreation

2.         The national mosque

3.         Arts and crafts village

4.         Millennium park

5.         Silverbird cinema

6.         Shehu Musa Ya’radua center

7.         Wuse clinic

8.         Wuse market
The location of the site is chosen because of its accessibility to the target users and also the availability of the important utilities there.

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