Covenant Journal of Research in the Built Environment

Review of Maintenance Strategies For Achieving Sustainable Developments In Tropical Climates

2023-09-28T14:48:00+00:00

Buildings, like almost all physical objects degrade over time due to a combination of factors. The deterioration affects all components and parts of the building in different ways, gradually reducing the quality of the structure and adversely impacting the building’s ability to effectively perform its basic functions in an environment. This paper relied on a systematic review of published literatures in reputable databases to examine how building developments and public environments can be designed in tropical climates to require minimal maintenance activities to enhance the ease of executing such activities. 39 open access published documents were reviewed. Data sieved from the publications were content analysed and descriptively presented in themes. The study identified principles and methods which can be implemented in the design of buildings with a focus on maintainability towards enhancing the development of sustainable public buildings and environments in tropical climates. The review promotes maintenance culture and emphasises increased consideration for maintenance in building design, which further helps to promote the eleventh target of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that aims at the development of resilient, safe and sustainable communities, cities and human settlements. The paper is instructive to researchers, scholars, students of architecture and building design, as well as policy makers on issues surrounding the principles of designing for maintainability, particularly in tropical settings.

SUSTAINABILITY IN RETAIL BUILDINGS: A CASE STUDY OF SHOPPING MALLS IN LAGOS STATE

2023-09-28T14:56:16+00:00

This study investigates with empirical data, the influence of supply chain management practices on building development projects undertaken by estate firms in Lagos State. Structured questionnaires were administered to principal officers of the 200 firms of estate surveying and valuation in the state while 136 were returned completed constituting 68.0% rate of response. Uni-variate analysis was performed to present the profile of the respondents while further analysis carried out with correlation regression analysis. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to establish the relationship among the aspects of SCM practices and efficiency of the firms while linear regression analysis was used to investigate the strength of the relationships. Results revealed that the p-value of the independent variables are all less than 0.05, signifying that these variables are all significant to SCM practices, hence the efficiency of the firms. Moreover, the correlation coefficient indicates a varying degree of positive and direct relationship between the SCM aspects and productivity. The results of the regression analysis showed among others that although the six integral components of the SCM practices are all significant, only the primary supply chain and human resource supply chain currently have the highest contributory capacity (61.8% and 54.4% respectively) to the firms’ productivity while the ICT, finance and payment, mutual trust among stakeholders each had less or weak impact on the firms’ productivity. The study concluded by suggesting that estate firms strengthen these aspects of the firms’ SCM practices to improve productivity.

Factors Influencing Transformation of Prototype Public Housing in Northern Nigeria

2023-09-28T15:17:56+00:00

This paper explored factors influencing transformation and their relationship to residential satisfaction within prototype public housing in northern Nigeria as such studies are rare. Transformation increases and improves existing housing stocks in order to address acute housing deficits but exerts enormous pressure on urban infrastructure notably electricity and water supply, waste disposal, drainage and road networks. The study employed mixed methods through observations of transformations within three prototype public estates in Abuja, Sokoto and Potiskum as well as a survey regarding reasons residents transform their houses. Data from 73 respondents were analysed using descriptive statistics and Principal Components Analyses (PCA). Results revealed that the houses were largely allocated to civil servants within the middle to high-income bracket on owner-occupier basis and rarely to the low-income group. Mean satisfaction of 2.99 illustrates that residents were generally dissatisfied with the condition of their dwellings. Transformations were influenced by spatial, structural psychological and institutional factors as the lack of satisfaction with dwelling unit design; increasing housing stock, maintenance, privacy and services; increasing interior/sleeping spaces as well as the need for personalisation most influenced transformations. The latter largely accrued from implementing an owner-occupier policy of housing allocation. Economic reasons and home-based enterprises exerted the least influence on transformations. The implication on practice is that allocation strategies affect transformations within prototype housing thus designs need to be flexible to accommodate inevitable transformations. Public procurement processes also require urgent attention to address the low quality of construction and material finishes within prototype public housing in northern Nigeria. Planning policies will also need to factor in more economic related communal facilities around streets and markets as economic activities were observed to largely occur outside housing units. Urban policy will also benefit from similar studies of transformation within private housing as these constitute the bulk of housing supply in the country.

User’s Preference of Activity in Akure Public Spaces

2023-09-28T15:28:11+00:00

Users' preferences of activities in public spaces are influenced by a variety of factors, such as personal interest, social types, available facilities, and the surrounding environment. This paper examines users' preferences for activity in Akure public spaces to explore and understand the activities that users prefer engaging in within shared spaces. Information on respondents’ socio-economic characteristics, the availability of public space, and their activities was obtained from a structured questionnaire conducted with 334 respondents from the core, transitional, and peripheral zones in Akure. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. The result shows that public spaces in the study area are used for social and religious activities, as they ranked 1^st and 2nd, respectively. The result of the hypothesis testing shows that there is a significant relationship between the availability of public spaces in the study area and the activities that take place. This study recommends enforcement of the proper use of public spaces for their primary purpose of curbing indiscriminate and inappropriate use. Urban planners, architects, and policymakers should engage in designing and managing public spaces to meet the diverse needs and interests of the users.

Influence of supply chain management practices on building construction projects in Lagos State

2023-09-28T15:42:51+00:00

Sustainable Facilities Management Practices in Selected Universities in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area, Ogun State, Nigeria

2023-09-28T15:50:38+00:00

Sustainable development is being pursued at a global level and acknowledged across all sectors of the economy including universities. In order to apply sustainable measures, universities need to be vigilant in their management approaches. This study aimed at assessing the extent to which the selected universities in Ado-Oda/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State have incorporated sustainability principles into their facility management practices. The study adopted a qualitative case study approach where interviews were conducted with experts from Covenant University (CU) and Bells University of Technology (BUT) who were purposefully sampled. The study population was comprised of facility managers from the physical planning and development units of the two universities who were chosen because of their expertise and responsibility. The interview guide contained questions about the types of buildings in the universities, sustainable facilities management (SFM) strategies being used by the universities, factors influencing the adoption of SFM strategies at the universities and challenges to the adoption of SFM practices. Data was analysed using conventional content approach. The study found that the universities have partially implemented SFM practices. The common practice adopted by the universities includes energy management. The universities have also done well in waste management. Legislation and cost savings were the drivers for the adoption of SFM practices. Despite such being the case, there are challenges to the adoption and implementation of SFM. These include resource constraints, design constraints, and lack of knowledge about SFM. Therefore, the study recommends development of a system that monitors and evaluates progress of sustainable facilities management practices in the Universities in Ado-Odo/Ota LGA, Ogun State.

Evaluation of Users' Satisfaction with Lighting Strategies in Selected Art Museum and Galleries in Nigeria

2023-09-28T16:04:41+00:00

To achieve effective communication between displayed works and users in art museums and galleries, some environmental factors must be satisfied. Paramount among such factors is lighting. The provision of adequate lighting is a vital component for achieving effective and sustainable display areas in art museums and galleries. To assess the adequacy of lighting in the display areas, users’ opinion is central. This study evaluated users' satisfaction with lighting strategies in display areas of selected art museum and galleries in Nigeria, to identify areas for further improvements. The study adopted qualitative and quantitative research methods. Qualitative data was collected with the aid of an observation guide from one museum and two galleries, and content analysed. Whereas quantitative data was gathered with a closed-end structured questionnaire from 175 respondents across the three selected establishments and analysed with Statistical Product and Service Solutions software. The results were presented descriptively with the aid of tables, figures, and plates for better comprehension. The results showed that users were to a considerable extent satisfied with the lighting strategies employed which were predominantly artificial lighting which includes, fluorescent and incandescent lighting. The strategies employed are: down, up, front, side, and back-lighting, However, to enhance users’ satisfaction, the majority of the respondents suggested the use of daylighting strategies in the display areas where the exhibited works are not susceptible to light damage. The study recommended that while seeking to adopt lighting strategies that protect and preserve the value of artworks in display areas, architects should take into consideration the utmost importance of users’ visual comfort and well-being. Safe artificial and daylighting strategies should also be integrated right from the site planning to the lighting design and implementation stages.