The focus of sustainability in building design is the overall reduction of energy use.
I stayed off-campus all through my seven years at the university. A six-year course turned to seven because of the strikes we all know too well.
Anyway, the most critical thing about the town of Ekpoma where I studied, was the fact that there was no water.
It was bad. The water table was so low, and the cost of digging a borehole to tap this water was out of the reach of most households.
So, the selling of water was major business.
The people of the town were wise enough to make use of the high rainfall which they experienced for at least seven months of the year.
Each house had an aluminium collector made from roofing sheets. The collector is a channel that runs along the longest side of the roof to collect rain water. This channel is connected to a large underground reservoir where water is stored to provide for the five months of dry season.
This I found very fascinating!
The smart people of Ekpoma stored the water for use during the dry season. Some even had multiple reservoirs and sold the water during those dry months.
When I started the module on sustainability in design, I finally got it!
Read Also: This Thing Called Going Green
The following are a few ideas on how to achieve sustainability and the list is by no means exhaustive.
- Make the most of natural lighting and ventilation to reduce the need for artificial. This singular act saves tons of electricity
- Carry out a site analysis to determine the positioning of the living areas in the windward side. This helps to receive the cooling breeze. It also reduces dependence on mechanical ventilation, thereby saving power.
- Collect rainwater and repurpose for washing and other domestic chores. Or for gardening and/or swimming pool usage. The possibilities are endless.
- Use of solar or wind energy to power some household appliances. This eliminates, or at least reduces dependence on fossil fuels for energy.
- Place smaller windows along the side where the midday sun hits most. This reduces heat levels across the house.
- Grow climbing or creeping plants to cool the walls. Or plant on balconies of a high rise apartment block to create coolness. This saves energy on mechanical ventilation.
The possibilities are endless. And if you’re open to it, your architect can guide you through.
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Can you think of other ways? Let’s talk in the comments.
This is just another of many reasons to hire an architect! We help you save money, and save the planet while at it!
#SustainabilityInDesign #GoingGreen #Part2 #SavingTheEarth
Brenda Unu is an architect and writer with 5 published books. She writes articles on architecture and her views on varying topics. Brenda is passionate about women’s equality and the empowerment of the girl child. She lives in Lagos with her husband and four children.
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Ifeyinwa Okafor
07/10/2020 at 8:41 amExcellent write up. I love how practical the suggestions are.
Sustainability is something we need to take quite seriously in today’s world…..even in Nigeria. Resources are fast depleting and so we need to be more judicious in how we use our “abundance” of natural resources.
Thanks for shedding much light on this.
brenda unu
08/10/2020 at 6:13 pmThank you Ifeyinwa for joining the conversation. Indeed we must do more. The earth is our only home.
EDITH AGU
07/10/2020 at 8:45 amHow can i take advantage of the many windows in my home to allow for more aeration, while maintaining the aesthetics of my curtains/interior decor?
brenda unu
08/10/2020 at 6:17 pmHi Edith. If you have curtains, you can invest in day blinds (those sheer types) and pull back your heavy curtains during the day, leaving only the sheers which allow air through an open window.
If you have blinds,you can roll them up to open the blinds during the day to receive breeze from open windows. I hope this helps.
Ify O
07/10/2020 at 8:49 amAn excellent write up. I love how practical the suggestions are.
Thanks for shedding more light on this topic. Sustainability is very important in today’s world. Our resources are fast depleting, despite our seeming “abundance” in Nigeria. We need to be conscious of it and take little steps,, where possible.
Yomi
07/10/2020 at 9:58 amNice write up. I wonder if geographic planning also affects the placement of windows in a house. We are mostly inclined to build a structure that is facing the access roads without thought to lighting and wind factor. We also have no internal measure of power consumption because of post-paid billing as households are used to the mostest for a fixed /rising sum. Solar solutions are also expensive at acquisition
Bridget Bosede Imokhai
07/10/2020 at 11:41 amGoing Green is a positive step.
Am totally committed.
Well done Architect Brenda!
brenda unu
08/10/2020 at 6:18 pmThank you ma. Indeed we should all be committed. Thanks for reading.
Eric Aigbe
07/10/2020 at 11:52 amYour thoughts on Going green in the practice of Architecture especially in Africa is worthwhile considering also the weather condition in the continent. The practical application on “going green” in design should therefore be explored, deepened to client acceptance of such concept.
brenda unu
08/10/2020 at 6:18 pmThank you Mr Eric. I appreciate your comments
Osayi
08/10/2020 at 2:34 pmThanks for this ma’am, and I just had a good read!
Lucia Okogwu
08/10/2020 at 5:03 pmGreat write up. Educative. Ventilation and natural sunlight are 2 aspects I encourage people that have asthma and Vitmain D deficiency, to be inquisitive about when building their homes or renting a place. Concerning the homes with underground reservoirs, did you find that there was a high incidence of houses with mold issues?
Grace Edwin-Okon
09/10/2020 at 6:35 amThank you for the insight, Architect Brenda