SUSTAINABLE DESIGN FOR NIGERIA ISSUES & POSSIBILITIES

SEPTEMBER 2011

CHINWE ABULOKWE OHAJURUKA, M.Sc. M.Arch. RIBA, NIA,

LEED AP, GREEN STAR AP, BREEAM AP

INTRODUCING GREEN BUILDINGS

Definition of Sustainability

One of the best definitions of environmental sustainability to date has been:

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the

ability of future generations to meet their own needs".

(Brundtland Commission Report 1987)

Introduction: Nigeria & Sustainability

NIGERIA:

• A country blessed with abundant human, natural, mineral & ecological resources!

• Also, plagued with a myriad of social, economic & environmental problems!

• World Values Survey (WVS) published in 2003 found Nigerians to be the “Happiest People in the World”!

• At that time, 70% of population fell below the poverty line, &

• Nigeria had one of the lowest Human Development Indexes (HDI) in the world at 0.4 - (UK and USA were 0.83 and 0.89)

Nigeria & Sustainability What can we learn from this seeming paradox?

• There is huge potential for green societal transformation!

• Take advantage of the fact that in Nigeria, more can be achieved with less.

• Happiness does not necessarily translate to having material wealth!

• As Nigeria embarks on large scale infrastructure development, construction MUST be sustainable, or green!

Why Build Green in the First Place?

• With issues of global warming and climate change, mitigation and adaptation have become necessary.

• To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, building green has become important.

• Buildings produce 40% of carbon dioxide emissions. • Building green can cut CO2 emissions by up to 35%. • Green buildings can reduce:

A. energy use by 30 – 50%, B. waste by 75% and C. water usage by 40%!

• Green Buildings have HEALTHIER indoor environments!

What Are The Benefits of Green Buildings? Environmental, social and economic benefits such as:

• Consume less natural resources.

• Produce less pollution and emissions.

• Improved health, wellbeing & productivity of occupants.

• Creation of green construction jobs.

• Supply & maintenance of energy, water and sanitation.

• Usually cheaper to operate.

• Attract higher rents.

Started by Green Building Councils (GBCs) around the world by creating and maintaining rating systems or tools that prescribe and measure building sustainability performance.

How Did They Originate

GREEN BUILDING COUNCILS AROUND THE WORLD (2010)

The World Green Building Council is a network of green building councils around the world currently headquartered in Canada:

Green Building Rating Systems

What Are They?

• Tools to provide a standard against which buildings with different levels of environmental design and efficiency can be compared.

What Do They Do?

• Set standards and benchmarks for green building, and enables an objective assessment to be made as to how "green" a building is.

• Set out a "menu" of the green measures that can be incorporated into a building to make it green.

Green Building Rating Systems

How Do They Work?

• Points are awarded according to which measures have been incorporated, and, after appropriate weighting, a total score is arrived at, which determines the rating.

What Is Their Objective?

• Stimulate market demand for buildings with improved environmental performance.

Green Building Rating Systems

What Is The Net Result?

• If the market is provided with improved information and mechanisms, discerning clients can and will provide leadership in environmental responsibility and others will follow suit to remain competitive.

Why Are They Important?

• Can be one of the most potent and effective means to both improve the performance of buildings and transform market expectations and demand.

World Map of Rating Systems In Use (2010)

Nigerian Environmental Issues

• Deforestation (from logging, subsistence agriculture & fuel wood collection) • Desertification (from deforestation, overgrazing, erosion & global warming) • Coastal Flooding (as a result of the rise in seal level) • Erosion & Soil Degradation • Loss of Arable Land • Loss of Bio-Diversity • Climate Change/Ozone Layer Depletion and effects • Increased temperatures • Rapid & uncontrolled urbanisation resulting in urban blight & slums; • Underdeveloped Infrastructure: Lack of Basic Amenities such as:

–Electricity –Clean Water –Tarred Roads –Sanitation –Drainage –Waste Management

• Over-reliance on generators • Urban Air & Water & Noise Pollution

Issues To Be Addressed By A Nigerian Rating Tool

GOAL:

To mitigate and manage Nigerian environmental problems.

HOW?

By utilising existing and potential human, natural, mineral and energy resources .

TO WHAT END?

To build a strong economy, a social haven and an environmentally improved society.

FOCUS:

While other rating systems around the world have focused mainly on environmental and economic issues, the Nigerian rating system will

also have a strong social component that hopes to address the pervasive ailments of poverty & inequality, and the resulting

environmental degradation and low human development index (HDI).

1. Management

Aim:

To manage the implementation of the rating tool during the design and construction, and continuing to accrue the benefits of green design and construction during the operation and use of the building.

Strategies Include:

• Awareness, education & training of client & team, • Team collaboration, • Metering and management of utilities, • Building commissioning and tuning during operation. • Building occupant awareness The continued success of the sustainability measures rest on effective management for the entire life cycle of the building.

2. Energy

Aim:

The overall reduction in the production of greenhouse gases (GHG), achieved by energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy.

Strategies Include:

• Conscious Passive Energy Building Design • Specification and Utilization of Energy Efficient Equipment • Development, Generation, Distribution and Utilisation of Renewable

Energy sources including –Solar –Wind –Biomass –Small scale hydropower potentials

3. Water Efficiency

Aim:

Water conservation and efficiency. Clean water in Nigeria is precious and scarce.

Strategies Include:

• Use of low flow fixtures such as taps, shower heads and toilets. • Collection of rainwater and use for irrigation and flushing of toilets. • Specification of plants that do not require much or any irrigation

after establishment • Metering water to monitor and manage its use. • Collecting and reusing waste water from air conditioning. • Installing leak detection systems capable of detecting major leaks

on the water supply. • Continuing the culture of using water carefully, measuring water

use by the bucket.

4. Occupant Health & Wellness

Aim:

Promotion of the health and wellbeing of building occupants. A large proportion of time is spent indoors. This credit reduces the potential for disease and death from "Sick Building Syndrome" (SBS) caused by indoor air pollution and focuses on increasing occupant comfort and health

Strategies Include:

• Encouraging adequate natural ventilation where possible

• Improved air conditioning air quality

• Improved natural and artificial lighting – large windows, high frequency ballasts fluorescent fittings

• Reduction in/elimination of indoor air pollutants from paints,

• Noise reduction

• Views & vistas from inside out should to create human delight.

5. Sustainable Transport

Aim:

Reduction in greenhouse gases from transport associated with buildings by reducing dependency on motor vehicles and private car use in favour of more sustainable means of transport.

Strategies Include:

• Locating buildings close to major transport routes;

• Locating buildings close to public amenities;

• Providing staff buses;

• Providing safe and accessible pavements & sidewalks;

• Providing trees & landscaped streets;

• Providing safe and accessible bicycle paths;

• Creating incentives for occupants to car-pool & share vehicles.

6. Materials Aim:

The reduction in the amount of natural resources used, the promotion of the use of rapidly renewable materials and the encouragement of the reuse and recycling of materials where possible.

Strategies Include:

• The increased use of locally available materials.

• The increased use of alternative locally available and renewable aggregates and binders.

• The development, management and utilization of rapidly renewable materials such as bamboo, raffia palm and rattan.

• Responsible and controlled sourcing of wood to comply with global standards.

7. Waste Management

Aim:

To reduce the amount of waste going to landfills by efficient management during building construction and subsequent use..

Strategies Include:

• Careful dimensional coordination during design

• Effective material storage and control

• Implementation of site waste management plans (SWMP) during construction

• Salvaging, recycling & reuse of construction materials

• Greater use of prefabricated elements

• Storage and recycling of paper, metals, glass, plastic and cardboard.

• Composting or diversion Organic material such as food to bio-digesters.

Effective waste management has the triple potential for world leadership by converting the power, urban blight and poverty challenges into opportunities for power generation, improved sanitation and job creation.

8. Ecology, Land Use & Sites

Aim:

Reduction in the impacts of building construction on ecological systems and biodiversity, while enhancing the ecological value of sites.

Strategies Include:

• Site mitigation of soil degradation & pollution.

• Control of erosion, flooding & poor drainage.

• Reduction in deforestation.

• Respect for and restoration of the natural ecology of the site.

• Avoidance of high-value ecological sites such as forests, wetlands, and prime agricultural lands.

• Wide-scale aggressive and appropriate tree and shrub planting.

9. Pollution & Emissions Reduction Aim:

• The reduction in the environmental impact of building emissions and pollution. The project must be designed to protect adjacent properties from noxious emissions that would compromise its ability to use natural ventilation and enjoy outdoor living.

Strategies Include the Control of:

• Surface runoff water, • Other waste water • Sewerage • Light pollution • Noise pollution • Bad odours (such as poultry smells) • Generator emissions • Flood risk • Leakage of ozone depleting and global warming substances.

***Of particular note, generators should be selected to minimize harmful emissions to the environment by ensuring that they comply with international standards.

10. Social Equity & Poverty Alleviation

Aim: • As part of a larger Green Economy, green buildings can contribute significantly to social issues of

inequality and poverty by creating awareness, education and the subsequent empowerment towards a sustainable built environment.

Strategies Include: • Creation of new green jobs associated with green design, construction & management. • Stimulation of the economy by the demand for and production of

– renewable energy, – renewable materials, – sustainable waste management and – green innovation.

• Setting of higher standards for building occupant health, comfort and wellbeing. • Market transformation towards a higher human development index. • Greater access to basic human rights such as

– decent living environments, – clean water and safe sanitation, – proper drainage – naturally lit and ventilated spaces, – non-toxic building materials, – affordable housing, – accessibility for the handicapped,.

• Green buildings can accelerate the progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) of 2015, Vision 2020 and beyond.

11. Beauty & Inspiration

Aim:

Creation of design features intended solely for human delight and the celebration of culture, spirit, and place (appropriate to the function of the building). For too long, Nigerians have had to contend with ugly, substandard and inhumane built environments that do little to elevate the human spirit, educate the occupants and inspire the citizenry.

Beauty strategies include:

• Use of materials, • Style of architecture, • Building elements, • Landscape, horticulture and vegetation, • Vistas and views • Simple yet effective use of ornamentation.

12. Innovation in Environmental Design & Management

Aim:

Invites Nigerians to new ways of sustainable thinking to solve old environmental problems. The goal is to create safe, healthy, attractive, economically viable, environmentally sustainable and socially beneficial built environment.

Beauty strategies include:

This category encourages, recognises and rewards technologies, designs and processes that can be measured in either of two ways: • Exemplary Performance in Credit Categories – exceeding the

benchmarks set by some credits by a pre-determined amount or percentage, and

• Innovative Strategies and Technologies – Quantifiable or measurable strategies outside of the existing credits that provide environmental benefits.

12. Innovation in Environmental Design & Management

Examples Could Include:

• Using building waste to produce bio-gas and bio-fuels to generate electricity (small-scale bio-digesters),

• Organized advocacy to authorities for environmental upgrades and improvements,

• Organized, quantifiable community self-help initiatives, and

• Designs/strategies that increase occupant comfort /safety yet consume fewer resource

How Do Nigerians Feel Now?

Nigerians continue to demonstrate resilience and tenacity. • Nigerians still define themselves as happy. • A recent poll of 64,000 people from 53 countries ranked Nigerians the most

hopeful in the world that 2011 would be an economically better year: “Are Nigerians the most optimistic in the world? Yes, according to a Gallup end of year poll, which ranked Nigerians as the most hopeful in the world in terms of their economic fortunes for 2011. The countries of the G7, meanwhile, were found to be some of the most pessimistic about the future – judged to be high on per capita income, but low on hope for the New Year” (UK Guardian Newspaper December 2010)

• Published around the same time that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria announced that 70% of Nigerians (105 million) live below the poverty line, up from 54% in the previous two years!

• Nigerians have thus demonstrated yet again that it is possible to be satisfied with less resources and amenities than richer, more industrialised countries.

Translation: • It is possible to use up less resources to provide simple, affordable, decent,

healthy, comfortable, safe, secure and fulfilling lives for Nigerians, thus becoming a global model of environmental, economic and social sustainability.

Summary

• For Nigeria, green building means the gradual upgrading of the Nigerian built environment with green infrastructure as a means to:

• Rapid economic growth

• Well diversified industry

• High human development index (HDI)

• Reduced poverty,

• Low carbon footprint

• Protected bio-diversity,

• Controlled forests, and most importantly,

• A healthy, happy, gainfully employed, productive and optimistic Nigerian populace!

• Totally compatible with Nigeria’s Vision 2020 - being among the 20 largest economies of the world by 2020.

CONCLUSION

It is difficult, if not impossible, to manage what is not measured.

A relevant Nigerian green building rating system measures, monitors and manages a thoughtful and conscientious way of building to ensure success in sustainability by

• Attracting industry leaders,

• Creating awareness of and demand for green buildings, and

• Gradually transforming the market with government participation and eventual industry–generated legislation.

THANK YOU!

ARC. CHINWE ABULOKWE OHAJURUKA COMPREHENSIVE DESIGN SERVICES,

2662 Bella Via Ave, Columbus, Ohio 43231, USA

Chinwe5563@yahoo.com 1-614.403.2994

0813.706.2881

Chinwe Ohajuruka’s Bio

Chinwe Abulokwe Ohajuruka is an Architect, Project Manager & Sustainability Consultant with more than 24 years’ experience in a variety of local and international settings. Chinwe has been involved with several projects for collegiate, commercial, residential, institutional and industrial clients. Having designed and managed building projects in Nigeria, the United States and four other countries, Chinwe has a diverse background that complements the international settings she has found herself in. Other countries she has worked in and done work for include Scotland, Jamaica, Barbados, Gambia and Zambia. She has been a member of the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and achieved accreditation in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in 2008. Subsequently, she has worked on several sustainability projects in leadership positions such as LEED Project Administrator, LEED Project Manager & LEED Advisor. She became a Green Star (South Africa) and BREEAM Accredited Professional in January and February 2011 respectively. She is currently on the Board of Directors, and the Board of Trustees of the Green Building Council, Nigeria.