ANALYSIS OF STRATEGIES FOR ATTAINMENT OF ADAPTIVE THERMAL COMFORT IN BUILDINGS IN NIGERIA: REVIEW OF METHODS

Abstract

Acceptable thermal comfort conditions in buildings are necessary to ensure health and wellbeing of occupants, enhance productivity of workers, et cetera. Passive or active strategies can be utilized to achieve these acceptable thermal comfort conditions. Passive methods are encouraged in buildings because they are considered to be environmentally friendly. This research aimed to review passive methods and materials used in  traditional, vernacular and modern-day architectures to provide thermal comfort conditions for occupants of indoor spaces in tropical Nigeria. The author systematically reviewed and analysed 29 papers using statistical tables and chart. The findings showed that natural ventilation is the most used passive strategy. The study also indicated that traditional and vernacular buildings depend on the thermal properties of indigenous building materials and climate responsive strategies to provide acceptable thermal conditions for occupants. Modern-day buildings need shading, insulation and covering from the intense solar radiation in the study area compared to traditional or vernacular buildings. Despite their aesthetical appeals, the study concluded that modern-day building cannot be relied upon to provide thermal comfort for building occupants. If modern-day building materials must be used, then appropriate passive strategies must also be deployed to ensure the provision of acceptable thermal comfort conditions for building occupant in the tropics.