PASSIVE SOLUTIONS TO INCREASE ENERGY EFFICIENCY In the Design of a Shopping Mall Abuja, Federal Capital Territory

(A CASE STUDY OF Nigeria)

By

Author

Presented To

Department of Environmental Design

ABSTRACT
The idea that shopping malls exists for all intents and purposes solely for buying and selling has long passed, Malls now boast of far greater scale in terms of both sizes and activities carried on within; and with such transcendence comes also the need to make it as affordable, comfortable and functional as possible, this is where energy comes into play. Energy efficiency as the name implies looks at how to reduce its demand, measures on how to both recycle and exploit renewable resources. The shopping mall is a high energy demand building to be built, maintained up to its estimated lifespan; which brings about the need to cost effectively enhance and lower fuel cost, curb environmental pollution, reduce demand on non-renewable fuels. However it is a fact well established that barriers do exist which could be a deterrent to said goal actualization and they appear in forms of economic backing not feeling the payback in a short span of time due to lack of adequate information on its importance and decay of approval of implementation, then access to compatible measures which can compromise on appearance of buildings with all the barriers and constraints visible so also are the therapies and this is where the passive measures come into play by applying techniques such as day lighting, cooling, building envelop, landscaping, so also having a grip on total energy usage and the services within the building. This research looked at energy as a global issue via energy efficiency adopting passive solutions in the design of shopping mall. A method of approach was sampled shopping malls in the choice location Abuja; interviews held helped shed light on their observations. So also were literature gathered, analyzed and summarized to determine energy savings. Time posed as both a limitation and delimitation which formed part of hindrances as choice of site location and number of cases to be studied form basis of analysis. Passive solutions looked at here includes general planning and or orientation of the shopping mall design, how accessibility and flow of traffic affects energy within and micro climate by providing separate routes for pedestrian and vehicular movement; so also site planning and landscape using plantation of trees, shrubs, hedges and stone paving to curb external heat flow into the building. Day lighting use was natural due to the topography and as such use of photovoltaic panels, skylights, double paned glazing on windows and lots of windows to aid natural lighting and also ventilation aided by patterns of wind circulation afforded by the placement of the openings strategically. Building materials and techniques applied are highly influential factors as such compressed earth bricks will be used in some parts of the building due to their natural characteristics of strength, cooling and also double paned pressurized glass. An expectation is that energy efficiency can be achieved using available resources optimally and providing a model for subsequent applications in shopping malls and any other public building. Use of material and construction techniques to assist designers, builders, clients in creating designs for less cost and higher yield driving the building industry to greater heights. Passive strategies applied are to be environmentally friendly and trendy which invariably are responsible for space, form, and surfaces of the building.