Analysis of User’s Perception on How to Achieve Thermal Comfort in Kano State Luxury Homes

Luxury homes form an important part of development of urban settings in Nigeria, it is predominantly but not always on one building accommodation spaces that contains all necessary components and style of modern residential units. However, the location of these building largely makes them different in relation to the kind view they offer. The congestion and rapid increase of urban activities in Kano State has resulted to thermal comfort challenges, this problem  have remained stagnant in the air for quite a long time, despite the control in design of buildings that have emerged of recent, there still remains the problem of indoor air quality and humid hot interior spaces that affect building occupants. The main aim of this research is to highlight how User’s perception can be used to achieve thermal comforts in the luxury homes in Kano, which can be accessed through examining the effects of thermal discomfort on building users, assessing the actions of users on thermal comfort challenges, evaluating users response on how thermal comfort can be achieved. After extensive review of literature, a research gap was established. Data was collected from the aforementioned study area through administering questionnaire, observation and personal interview. A qualitative and quantitative research approach was employed; SPSS and MSExcel were used for the quantitative data analysis. Findings revealed Users discomfort level, the adaptation techniques they have adopted and suggesting design considerations and ways to which thermal discomforts can be mitigated. Recommendations were made for designing homes with high level of comforts achieved through the idea of the users of buildings. Conclusion was made on the ease of determining the discomfort level of user, and the importance of incorporating their idea and thinking at the starting point in building designs. Keywords: Discomfort, Luxury homes, Thermal comfort, User’s perceptio

Assessment of Window Types in Natural Ventilation of Hotels in Taraba State

Natural ventilation provides the needed amount of good air quality through a natural process of allowing air in and out of buildings through the windows in order to achieve thermal comfort. There has been poor ventilation problem in hotels due to choice of windows which causes sick building syndrome. This research is aimed at specifying window types for effective ventilation in hotels. This is to be achieved through ascertaining of the window types used in hotels, ascertaining the window sizes used in hotels and to analyse the various window types in order to specify the effective types for hotels. In carrying out the objectives, two hotels were selected from each of the three senatorial zones in Taraba State where primary data were collected from a total of six selected hotels through direct observation. Secondary data in relation to natural ventilation and window types were gotten through review of literature. The data collected were analysed, using descriptive statistics. Findings and deduction were made. The concluding part of this research highlights the need and importance of using window types that provide the maximum ventilation in hotel rooms and other spaces. Recommendations were made for windows with high ventilation percentage to be used in hotels for effective ventilation. Keywords: Hotel, Natural Ventilation, Sick building syndrome, thermal comfort, windo

Assessment of Parking Spaces in Mixed-Used Buildings in Kano State

Man has been a wanderer right from time inception, moving about in search of food and shelter. Building as a shelter is as old as man, also different buildings perform different functions or uses to man. Some buildings have only one function, while some have multiple functions and they are known as ‘Mixed-use building’. One major problem encountered with these type of structures is the issue of parking, caused as a result of either; the design, the building occupying the whole site, the residents/users of the building, or standard laws (rules and regulation) guarding the area. This paper aims at assessing the efficiency parking space in mixed-use buildings, which can be achieved through analysing the quantity and sizes of the parking spaces provided, estimating the number of car users’, and ascertaining the perception of users’ on the available parking space. The methodology employed involves a purpotive sampling method, where the sample population to be studied were selected due to the mixed-use criteria met by the selected buildings. Data was collected through questionnaires and personal observation. Recommendations were made that various means of achieving an efficient parking space in a mixed-use building or development, such as; the provision of the right parking spaces to the functions performed ratio, during the design stage, also, the issue of shared parking in order to reduce too much usage of scarce land for parking lots should be well planned. Keywords: building, design, mixed-use, parking facility, shared parkin