The prevalence of modern residential buildings without adequate consideration of changes in user's needs and preferences in urban centres of South-eastern Nigeria is becoming more worrisome. This study therefore, evaluated the level of knowledge and implementation of bioclimatic principles/practices in modern residential buildings by building design and construction professionals. It assessed the adequacy of bioclimatic elements and occupant level of satisfaction based on selected environmental performance criteria. It employed survey approach and analysed the survey data using mean score index, correlation coefficient and t-test statistics. The result showed a low level of implementation of bioclimatic principles/practices in spite of high level of knowledge about bioclimatic principles/practices by the building professionals. It also found that bioclimatic elements/features in modern residential buildings were inadequate and thus, high level of occupants' dissatisfaction with environmental performance of the buildings. The study further found that adequacy of bioclimatic elements was significantly and positively correlated with the level of implementation of bioclimatic principles/practices and occupants' level of satisfaction. However, a moderate and insignificant positive relationship was found between the level of knowledge and implementation of bioclimatic principles/practices. This therefore, suggested a need for building professionals to transform their knowledge of bioclimatic principles into practice for an improved performance. This would create a balance between traditional values and modernisation and a more comfortable home for living. The study then advocated for a revisit to existing building design and construction laws, policies and codes, and/or institutionalising new regulations that would accommodate bioclimatic peculiarities of South-eastern Nigeria.
This study examined the factors influencing construction professionals and contractors' resistance behaviours towards sustainable construction practices in Nigeria. 56 variables identified from literature were categorised into four main factors. Questionnaire was designed based on the extracted variables and distributed to construction professionals and contractors in South-East Nigeria. The data generated through the questionnaire survey were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Software. The result revealed that industry, policy, human, and environment factors were significantly influencing professionals and contractors' resistance behaviours to implementation of sustainable construction practices. However, the Mean Score Index result revealed that policy factors with an average MSI of 4.68 exert the greatest influence on professionals' and contractors' resistance behaviours. The overall result showed that all the variables have significant influences on professionals' and contractors' resistance behaviours, but five sub-factors (limited knowledge and awareness, additional cost of change, the prevailing economic condition, incompatibility of change process and organisational culture, and laws and regulations) each with an average MSI of 5.00 have the greatest individual influences on construction stakeholders' resistance behaviours towards sustainable construction practices in Nigeria. The Mann-Whitney U Test result affirmed that there is no significant difference (p>0.05) between the rankings of professionals and contractors on the factors influencing their resistance behaviours. In view of this, the study raised concern about the training routes of the construction practitioners, conventional construction practices and existing policy and legislative frameworks including government commitment towards implementing sustainable construction practices in Nigeria.
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