APPLICATION OF SUSTAINABLE DESIGN ELEMENTS IN THE DESIGN OF A MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING ESTATE IN ABUJA.

Abstract

ABSTRACT In recent years, the use of sustainable design elements in residential neighbourhoods has drawn a lot of attention in response to the urgent need for ecologically friendly and resource-conserving communities. Lack of regard for the environmental effects of the built environment is one of the main issues currently faced by humans. Buildings account for the majority of the world's energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, unsustainable building materials, construction methods, and infrastructure these all contribute to rising energy costs, operating expenses, and carbon footprints. The aim of this study is to integrate sustainable elements in the design of a multi-family housing estate in Abuja, Nigeria. The research was done through quantitative evaluations and the use of case studies and questionnaires. Three hundred and eighty (380) questionnaires were administered and two hundred and fifty (250) questionnaires were returned and analysed. The study revealed that the respondent agreed that the use of energy-efficient lighting fittings and appliances in public housing and that the use of renewable energy such as solar panels could meet the energy needs of the public housing (MIS = 4.53 and 4.49, respectively) were the most significant passive design strategies. The findings revealed that the most significant effect of non-green architectural components that negatively influence the overall comfort of occupants of public housing was ranked first, with a mean score of 4.08 and a corresponding level of significance of 0.00, making it a statistically significant effect of non-green architectural components in public housing. In conclusion, the adoption of sustainable design practices in construction helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thereby creating a healthy living environment. It is recommended that energy-efficient features like landscaping, building orientation, sustainable material specification, sun shading devices, and cross ventilation be incorporated into the design of buildings, especially residential buildings, to reduce running costs, lower energy requirements, and lessen the negative environmental effects that energy has.