AN ASSESSMENT OF BIOCLIMATIC DESIGN PRINCIPLES IN OPTIMISING ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN DESIGN OF STATE CONVENTION CENTER

(A CASE STUDY OF KADUNA)

By

Author

Presented To

Department of Environmental Design

ABSTRACT
Technology istakingovereveryaspectofhumanendeavorincludingarchitecture.Thus buildings are beginning to lose their architectural characteristics relative to their external climatic factors. This creates unfavorable comfort conditions within the building making it unbearable for the users without use of artificial means. It has also been succinctly noticed that, building sector is responsible for a significant percentage of the total natural resources depletion and energy consumption as well as emission of household waste and toxic gases at global level. This was found to be attributed to the current development devoid of local considerations. The contemporary practice is projected to increase geometrically considering the rate of urbanization and industrialization. Based on the recent ultimate aim of reducing the environmental burden caused by the building sector in order to save the planet earth for the future generation. Many pragmatic measures have been made to evolve strategies that will upgrade the energy of the existing buildings and proper planning of the new structures as well as managing the natural resources. Understanding the climate within and around the building offers the great chance of remodeling the current practice to save energy and other natural resources. Since climate varies, bioclimatic design provides the basis for a regionally distinctive architecture that is able to challenge globalization of architecture and technology to create a comfortable environment and reduce energy and resource consumption. The concept capitalizes on the characteristics of the site and climatic elements, modifying and harnessing them in the most natural way possible. The methodology employed case study research approach and review of relevant literatures. Visual survey results of the buildings studied were documented out of a checklist drafted using the bioclimatic design principles to ascertain the nature and level vi of application of the principles in regions having similar climatic characteristics with the region under question. Other buildings were considered to explore the nature of facilities, user space needs and activities in a convention center. From the inference emerged a design proposal for a state convention center Kaduna using the principles of bioclimatic design to evoke an architectural piece sensible to the environment climatic factors. This is done to optimize the energy consumed in the center and to create a unique building peculiar to the people?s architecture of Kaduna state. These are among the critical contemporary trends of convention center design which the proposal will attempt to address. Finally, some of the recommendations are that ;( i) buildings should be designed to fit into its environment without been affected by the unfavorable climatic elements. Unfamiliar forms and international architectural technology should be minimally incorporated in designs. (ii) Energy efficiency measures should be actively considered to reduce consumption which is the current trend of architecture globally and to compliment the epileptic power supply in the country. Lastly, research in the field of sustainability and renewable energy should be one of the utmost priorities of the architects and other allied professionals in the construction industry.