AWARENESS AND PRACTICE OF GREEN CONSTRUCTION
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AWARENESS AND PRACTICE OF GREEN CONSTRUCTION
ABSTRACT
Despite Nigeria’s massive environmental and energy problems, designers have not recognised the need to abandon their conventional approach to building design. Green buildings, also known as sustainable buildings, are environmentally friendly constructions that have little or no influence on the environment.
The purpose of this study is to examine the level of awareness and practise of green construction in Lagos state with the goal of improving the practise by assessing the benefits of green construction, issues impeding the practise, and potential solutions to these factors.
The study used a cross-sectional survey research design. The main instrument for gathering data from respondents was a structured questionnaire. A total sample of seventy (70) was drawn from a collection of built environment professionals (including architects, builders, quantity surveyors, Engineers,
Estate surveyors, and town planners) in various types of organisations, expert clients, and government representatives from various parts of Lagos state using the convenience sampling technique. Fifty-five (55) questionnaires were completed and returned, reflecting a response rate of 79.00%.
The generated data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 20.0). The percentage and mean score were employed. The hypothesis was also tested using analysis of variance.
The study also reveals that natural light access in many parts of the building is the most important factor that built environment professionals consider when carrying out construction projects, and energy efficiency is the most important factor that built environment professionals consider when achieving sustainable design and construction.
The belief that green building costs more is seen as the most significant impediment to built environment professionals frequently adopting sustainable solutions into their work. This study also suggests that green construction education, training,
and seminars be provided to project stakeholders involved in the design process, such as the client, developers, project managers, architects, engineers, consultants, suppliers,
and contractors, in order to persuade them of the environmental benefits of green building and to change their perceptions that green building costs more than conventional methods of construction.
It is also suggested that the government provide incentives to stakeholders who want to create green, as well as loans for sustainable projects. Finally, this study recommends that built environment professionals consider natural access in many parts of the building,
use of large windows that maximise the amount of light admitted into the building, and vegetation around the building when carrying out construction projects.
CHAPTER ONE 1.0
Introduction
1.1 Background to study.
Green or sustainable buildings are the future and will become more popular in Nigeria during the next few decades. Demand for high-performance buildings is progressively becoming a trend in Nigeria’s construction industry.
The primary goals of sustainable construction are to avoid resource depletion of energy, water, and raw materials, as well as to prevent environmental degradation caused by buildings and infrastructure throughout their life cycle (Nordic Research Institute, 2014).
According to Nwokoro and Onukwube (2011), the deployment of an efficient waste management system, the use of renewable construction materials, and the appropriate use of project design facilities will help Nigeria achieve biophysical sustainability. In order to pursue sustainable construction, the sector is expected to evolve its building methods.
Building construction has increased dramatically, accounting for nearly half of all greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumed, owing primarily to the energy used in the production and transportation of materials to building construction sites, as well as the energy used to operate these buildings (Adegbile, 2013).
The constructed environment consumes a significant amount of material and energy, contributes to biodiversity loss, pollution, and trash generation (Afolabi, 2013). Flexibility, durability, adaptability, and quality are critical variables in achieving technical sustainability in building (Nwokoro, 2011).
The construction industry contributes significantly to the majority of environmental challenges (Celik, 2013). Green design ensures that no portion of the building or its components endangers the environment. This necessitates the use of organic building materials such as wood, bricks, or other elements rather than synthetics (Daramola, Adebayo, & Alabi, 2012).
Sustainable development is defined as development that satisfies the requirements of the present without jeopardising future generations’ ability to meet their own needs (United Nations, 1987).
According to Nduka and Ogunsanmi’s (2015) study on the Adoption of Green Building Practises in Nigerian Construction Projects, professional bodies should teach and educate their members on green principles to ensure awareness and knowledge of the practise.
Professionals must attend seminars, conferences, and training programmes to expand their understanding of green design, building, methodologies, and procedures in order to maintain successful sustainable practises on projects.
Embracing a green or sustainable design idea aims to reduce energy, operation, and maintenance costs, reduce building-related sickness, boost building occupant productivity and comfort, reduce waste and pollution, and increase building and component durability and flexibility.
It is critical to incorporate the green concept into building design, planning, and construction from the beginning. There is a need to lower the requirement for energy in buildings and raise awareness to guarantee that available energy is used efficiently (Malina, 2013).
As a result, it is critical to promote green construction and ensure that it is incorporated early in the design process. Public awareness of green construction in Lagos is limited due to a lack of institutional structures promoting green buildings, a lack of adequate resources to promote green construction
, little or no government incentives to promote green construction, limited professional capacity to integrate green building into construction, and little or no government encouragement to initiate green construction. The purpose of this study is to assess the issues limiting the practise of green construction in Lagos state.
1.2 statement of the Problem
Green concepts, sustainability, and environmental challenges are rarely discussed in Nigeria.
Consideration when planning a new structure or renovating an existing one. As a result, user satisfaction, functional space planning, and service type all suffer (Otegulu, 2011).
Despite Nigeria’s massive environmental and energy problems, designers have not recognised the need to abandon their conventional approach to building design. In Nigeria, there is very little awareness of the creation of green buildings. Only a few residential complexes are turning green. Victoria Garden City (VGC) and Crown Estate,
both in Lagos State, are among the few housing estates that have included green building components into their designs. The reasons could be traced back to the assumption that green building costs more, a lack of market awareness, knowledge, research,
and resources, steep learning for professionals, outdated planning and building codes, poor government policies regarding the built environment, a shortage of engineers with experience operating green building systems, and a lack of incentives for owner investors as opposed to owner-occupants (Udechuwku & Johnson, 2008).
It is also surprising that some buildings in Environmental science faculties at some institutions are not designed and built with a green or ecological sustainability in mind (Otegulu, 2011). Lagos state, as the most populated metropolis in Sub-Saharan Africa, accounts for 40% of total Nigerian fuel consumption (Taiwo, 2005).
Household activities in a megacity of around 18 million people living in over 3 million households undoubtedly contribute significantly to carbon emissions in Lagos state (Lagos State Ministry of Housing, 2009).
This research intends to solve the challenges restricting the practise of green construction in Lagos state by examining the level of awareness and practise of green construction in Lagos state.Inadequate resources to encourage green building construction,
limited professional competence to integrate green designs into construction, lack of institutional frameworks to support green construction, little or no government incentives to promote green construction, and so on.
Sustainability can be achieved by reducing energy use and encouraging recycling and reuse of materials. The goal of this study is to assess the issues that are limiting the practise of green construction in Lagos state and to propose potential solutions to boost green development. As a result, before adopting any green construction, the general public and specialists must thoroughly understand what green building is.
1.3 Aims and Objectives Of the Research
The purpose of this study is to assess the awareness and practise of green or sustainable construction in Lagos state in order to improve the practise.
The goals are as follows:
1) To investigate the level of knowledge of green construction in the state of Lagos.
2) To discover the advantages of green construction in the state of Lagos.
3) To identify the obstacles impeding green construction practise.
4) To study proposed solutions to the factors restricting the practise of green construction.
1.4 Research questions are stated.
The research questions are as follows:
1) How widespread is green construction awareness in Lagos State?
2) What are the advantages of green construction in Lagos state?
3) What issues are limiting the practise of green construction in the state of Lagos?
4) What remedies have been proposed to the constraints restricting the practise of green construction?
1.5 Research hypotheses.
To meet the study’s aims, the following hypotheses are proposed and will be investigated in this study:
1. There is little understanding about green construction practises in Lagos State.
2. There is no substantial variation in the perceived benefits of green construction among construction professionals in Lagos State.
1.6 scope/delimitation of the Study
This study examines the level of awareness and practise of green construction, rating the benefits, identifying the obstacles restricting the practise, and proposing potential solutions to these issues. This study focuses on the state of Lagos.
1.7 Importance of the research.
The findings of this study should help to highlight the benefits and advantages of green construction in Lagos state by investigating the factors limiting practise and awareness and proposing potential solutions and recommendations to achieve environmental sustainability, encourage recycling, and reduce waste.
1.8 Definitionn of terms
1. Environmental sustainability entails making decisions and taking actions to safeguard the natural world, with a special emphasis on sustaining the environment’s ability to support human life.
2. Environment: The totality of a living organism’s surroundings, including natural forces and other living things that give circumstances for development and growth as well as danger and injury.
3. Green buildings or green construction: This refers to a structure and procedure that are ecologically responsible and resource-efficient throughout the life-cycle of a building: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation,
and demolition. Green construction is defined as using less energy, conserving renewable resources, and including less harmful elements.
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