Developing a Context Specific Framework for Green Architecture for Thermal Performance in Abuja’s Central Business District

Babangida Joseph Adakole; Emokpae Murphy Erebor; Joseph Dalyop Audu; Benjamin Moral

doi:10.56201/ijgem.vol.12.no9.2026.pg19.31

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Developing a Context Specific Framework for Green Architecture for Thermal Performance in Abuja’s Central Business District

Babangida Joseph Adakole, Emokpae Murphy Erebor, Joseph Dalyop Audu, Benjamin Moral

Abstract

Abuja's high-rise office buildings are frequently criticised for poor orientation, an overuse of glazing and insufficient climate-responsive design, features that lead to excessive solar heat gain, higher cooling demand, reduced indoor thermal comfort and increased energy use. In four carefully selected high-rise office buildings in Abuja's Central Business District, this study assesses the use of green architecture design strategies to improve thermal performance. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, it combines qualitative evidence from field observation and building surveys with quantitative data from questionnaires completed by 82 architects and built-environment professionals. The study identifies the green strategies professionals are aware of, assesses the degree to which they are applied, and analyses the barriers inhibiting their use and the success factors that would encourage adoption. Twenty-three strategies were assessed. Double or triple glazing (Mean = 3.52), fixed external shading devices (Mean = 3.41) and building form and orientation (Mean = 3.28) recorded the highest awareness, but actual application was consistently lower, and every strategy showed a knowledge score above its integration score. The most-applied strategies were building form and orientation (Mean = 3.18) and fixed external shading (Mean = 3.05), and even these barely reached the mid-point of the scale. High initial capital cost (Mean = 3.61), lack of demand or awareness (Mean = 3.42) and a focus on aesthetics over performance (Mean = 3.35) were the leading barriers, while stringent performance-based energy codes (Mean = 3.68), life-cycle cost analysis (Mean = 3.55) and education and cross-disciplinary training (Mean = 3.49) were rated the strongest enablers. The findings indicate that thermal comfort can be substantially improved, and heat gain significantly reduced, by the deliberate and coordinated implementation of passive green strategies, and the study closes with specific recommendations for architects, developers and policymakers.

Keywords

green architecturethermal performancehigh-riseoffice buildingpassive designsustainable building designbuilding envelopesolar shading.

References

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Developing a Context Specific Framework for Green Architecture for Thermal Performance in Abuja’s Central Business District

Abstract

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