Browsing by Author "Lawal, Lateef Ademola"

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Abandoned Building Projects: Source of Environmental Degradation
(Journal of Environmental Research and Policies, 2008) Lawal, Lateef Ademola; Goshi, Sarah K.
Buildings irrespective of size, form and function have an effect on observers and also on the physical environment. This effect could either be positive or negative. The issue of abandoned buildings in Nigeria is not a new phenomenon. Depending on how one looks at it, it represents a failure in that a specific goal has not been achieved. This paper examines abandoned buildings as sources of environmental degradation. It highlights factors that responsible for abandoned buildings as largely man-made, such as insufficient budget provision for the project and litigation among others. It presents findings on some of the abandoned buildings in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria. The paper recommends reclaiming of titles by the government on the one hand, and periodic evaluation of distressed properties with a view to determining and preventing abandonment of buildings on the other.
Averting the Increasing Incidents of Collapsed Buildings: A Case of Architects and Allied Professionals in the Building Industry
(Journal of Scientific and Industrial Studies, 2008) Abdulrahman, Mukaila E.; Lawal, Muhammad Bashir; Lawal, Lateef Ademola
Incidents of collapse of buildings have been on the increase and unprecedented in recent times. It could no longer be seen as accidents as the sporadic reoccurence cuts across the geopolitical zones of the country. The causes are multifarious, and in some cases, complex, but the signals normally persist from quite sometimes before resulting in collapse of the affected building. Sufficient literature exists as to the factors that led to the collapse of building, yet, little success has been recorded in preventing a reoccurrence of this sad situation. This paper reviews these factors in order to identify salient factors causing collapse of building structure. The need to have building maintenance manual as part of documents for assessing level of routine maintenance of the building and its installations as well as the role of stakeholders in averting the menace form the conclusion of the paper.
Biophilic Design Strategies in Healthcare Buildings
(International Journal of Environmental Research & Earth Science, 2023-03) Omaga, Angela Ele-Ojo; Lawal, Lateef Ademola
Evidence-based studies have shown the benefits of including nature and its elements in the built environment suggesting that they could have a positive effect on healing and health. The innate emotional attachment of human to nature and the living things in nature is known as “biophilia”. Biophilic design is an approach that integrates nature into the buildings in which people live to foster human-nature relationship. Extensive literature review gives a clear understanding of Biophilic design and confirms a link between patient’s recovery and building with nature. The study is aimed at assessing the extent to which biophilic design strategies is adopted in hospital buildings in Nigeria. Case study methodology was adopted to give critical analysis of existing health facilities and Biophilic design strategy adopted. The selected hospitals have been evaluated through the 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design strategies defined by Browning et al., 2014 and the results presented descriptively with the use of tables. The findings showed low consideration of these principles in health facilities of Nigeria and further gives pointers on how Biophilic design strategies could be applied in design for positive outcomes.
Capacity Building for the Training of Undergraduate Architecture Students in the 21st Century: A Case of FUT Minna
(Journal of the Association of Architectural Educators in Nigeria, 2007) Lawal, Lateef Ademola; Aniya, Jonathan Unya; Tauheed, Alhaji Isah
The role of facilities in any institution cannot be overemphasised. This is they constitute one of the critical tools for its development. The training of architecture students and the quality of graduates produced are dependent on, among other factors, the level of facilities (structural and technical) in place. However, strategic to this training are staff and buildings. This paper examines the need for capacity building for the training of architecture students in the Federal University of Technology, Minna. The paper traces the root for this need on the periodic admission policy of the university which has increased the student population making facilities on ground insufficient for staff and students respectively. The paper asserts that the School system (where facilities are shared among departments) in the university also plays a contributory role on the inadequacy of space. The paper proffers an upgrade of facilities on the one hand and academic staff development, on the other, to meet up with the existing gap.
Collapse of Buildings and the Application of Law in Nigeria
(Proceedings of the School of Environmental Technology, Federal University of Technology, Gidan-Kwano campus,Minna, 2007-03-02) Lawal, Lateef Ademola; Lawal, Tajudeen Adeseye
The spate of collapse of buildings in Nigeria is becoming more alarming and unprecedented, especially in the last one year resulting in an incalculable loss of human lives and materials. This paper takes a look at the issue of collapse of buildings and the application of law system in Nigeria. it examines the Lagos State Urban and Planning law as a tool to guarantee safe and healthy buildings in the building industry. Some of the causes of collapsed buildings are highlighted. This paper concludes that appropriate sanctions and punitive measures are needed to reduce the loss of both human lives and materials whenever a building collapses.
Design Factors Related to Postpartum Environments: Preferences for Sense-Sensitive Spaces
(The Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture, 2018-09-22) Lawal, Lateef Ademola; Vale, Robert
Despite recent design improvements following person-centred care in hospital settings and birthing environments (Verderber, 2010; Stichler, 2007), the key elements for a restorative hospital postpartum environment are not known. Building design can affect psychological-emotional and physiological wellbeing of women who have hospital births (Foureur, et al., 2010). In postpartum spaces women are increasingly faced with noise and multiple disruptions from healthcare providers (Boehm, & Morast, 2009), triggering lack of sleep and rest, due to not having a single room (Eberhard et al., 2000). This situation also contributes in shaping midwifery practice by creating cognitive and emotional responses, for midwives who work in such spaces (Hammond, et al., 2014; Hammond, et al., 2013).
Designing Recovery: Women and Midwives’ Perspectives on Design Factors in The Postnatal Hospital Environment
(International Journal of Architecture, Arts and Applications, 2025-06) Lawal, Lateef Ademola
Background: The postnatal phase is a critical time for women to rest and to recover after giving birth, and the hospital environment can influence the wellbeing experiences of new mothers. Existing research found aspects of the physical environments that are supportive of women during labour and birth, but research focusing on the environmental factors in postnatal environments, where women recover after birth, is limited and important. Purpose: The study investigated environmental factors and spatial features in postnatal environments that make an impact on women’s physical recovery and wellbeing following birth. Methods: Data were collected through online survey questionnaires from 229 postnatal women who gave birth in New Zealand hospitals and from 58 midwives (N = 287) who worked in postnatal settings. Midwives recruited women and their colleagues using a snowball sampling method and provided dedicated links to women and midwives to access the online survey questionnaires. Midwives filled out identical questionnaires as women; the only difference was data related to their demographic characteristics. Descriptive statistics and the independent-samples t-test were used to analyse the data. Results: Women’s and midwives’ have strong preferences for single-occupancy rooms, visual or physical connection to the outdoors, and views of nature, all of which were ranked significantly high, indicating both women and midwives desire personal control in the space, as well as connections to the outside during postnatal hospitalisation. The study participants also indicated a strong preference for air quality and room freshness, adequate daylight in the room, art and nature images and the presence of colours in the interior spaces. These design features were thought to be critical design elements for promoting rest, recovery and psychological wellbeing in postnatal settings. Conclusions: The results of this study highlight the importance of several key environmental design features, providing beneficial insights into women’s psychological recovery and wellbeing and suggesting the need for awareness by architects, and healthcare providers for creating restorative postnatal healthcare settings for women following birth.
Distribution and Access to Urban Infrastructure by Residential Property Occupiers in Minna, Nigeria
(African Journal of Housing and Sustainable Development, University of Lagos., 2022-12-05) Ogunbajo, Rukaiyat Adeola; Lawal, Lateef Ademola; Olabisi, Sulaiman Adesoji
Urban infrastructure encompasses the essential amenities, facilities, and services that make life easy and comfortable for residents within neighbourhoods. The provision of nine basic urban amenities across thirteen neighbourhoods in Minna, and measurement of access to amenities by households are the points of evaluation in this study. A total of 1,134 housing units were sampled using the stratified and systematic random sampling techniques. Data were generated from questionnaires, inspections and enumeration in the study area. Weighted mean scores were computed and indexed to determine overall accessibility to amenities. The location quotient (LQ) was used to estimate the degree of concentration of the amenities, while the Welch adjusted analysis of variance tested for a significant difference in the distribution of urban amenities across neighbourhoods. The adjusted Welch's F ratio was 2.959, which was significant at the 0.05 alpha level, suggesting an uneven distribution of amenities across neighbourhoods in the study area. This study emphasises that government at all levels should prioritise provision and development of amenities and also support efforts by communities regarding basic amenities and services.
Effects of Exposure to Noise on Mental Performance and Emotional Well-being of Students in a School in Kaduna, Nigeria
(International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation, 2025-05) Makun, Charles Yakubu; Lawal, Lateef Ademola
The study investigated exposure to noise, mental performance and emotional wellbeing of students. Two simultaneous field experiments were performed each day for five days. At each experiment, 30 students performed mathematics and English language task in a quiet 38dBA classroom named, ExposureI(ExpI). Simultaneously, another 30 students performed the same mathematics and English language task in a noisy 75dBA classroom, named ExposureII (ExpII). After the tasks were performed, the students were asked to to rate their perceptions of annoyance and task dificulty with respect to the noise levels in the two expermental classrooms. Independent sample t-test and Welch’s test were used to analyse the data. Results from the data analysis showed that, in comparison to ExpI(38dBA),the performance of mental task related to mathematics was signficantly affected in ExpII (75dBA).There was no signfcant effect found in the mental performnce related to English language task between ExpI(38dBA) and ExpII(75dBA). Furthermore, the results from this study show that the students were signficantly annoyed in classroom with a noise level of 75dBA. Lastly, the results from this study suggests that mental tasks can be much difficult in noisy classrooms.The findings from this study highlight the critical need for architects and policy makers to prioritize acoustic considerations in school design and renovation.
Environmental Risks and the Effects of Noise on Residents' Quality of Life and Well-being in Nigerian Urban Residential Environment
(Frontiers in Water and Environment, 2025) Akande, Oluwafemi K.; Akinbami, Ademola A.; Akeremale, Igbayemi D.; John, Ayuba B.; Haruna, Aisha G.; Oshineye, Adegbenga A.; Lawal, Lateef Ademola; Anikor, Emmanuel M.; Sola-Adebiyi, Oyeyemi P.
Environmental noise pollution is becoming a major concern in cities around the world, with serious consequences for public health and quality of life. In Nigeria, increasing urbanisation and uncontrolled urban growth have exacerbated noise pollution from transportation, industrial activity, and commercial hubs. This study examined environmental risks connected with noise pollution and its impact on residents' quality of life in Nigerian cities. The study used a mixed-methods approach, integrating noise level measurements (using a sound pressure level meter), resident questionnaire surveys (n=880), and spatial analysis to determine noise hotspots in the city centre. and their relationship to household satisfaction. The findings were compared to national (50 dBA) and worldwide (55 dBA) standards by the WHO. The findings revealed that noise from places of worship and road noise were highly rated, with about 75% of respondents reporting that environmental noise has a negative influence on their quality of life. The study recommended a synergistic approach to built environment design, design quality of residential buildings, and interventions by architects and other built environment experts to combat urban environmental pollution in residential settings. The study contributes to urban policy through its recommendations for noise mitigation measures and urban design frameworks that encourage healthier living conditions.
Facilities Management: A Career for Architect Graduates and Implications for Curriculum Development
(Journal of the Association of Architectural Educators in Nigeria, 2006-03) Aniya, Jonathan U.; Lawal, Lateef Ademola
The challenge being faced by young architects in the present economic depression is so enormous that finding jobs seems a herculean task. This paper takes a look at facilities management as a career opportunity for architecture graduates. It underscores its importance as a key area where services can be offered to clients. This paper discovers that there is a wide gap which needs to be filled for facilities management to gain relevance in Nigeria. Proper inventories and relevant data on facilities management and creating awareness are suggested as methodological approaches toward job creation for the architect-graduates. It asserts that as a result of the changing world, architect graduates need to focus on other areas of human endeavour in order to develop a career in them. The paper concludes that due to changing needs and demands of the society, the contents of the education of architects need to be reviewed and updated. This, it opines, should accommodate facilities management into the curriculum of schools of architecture in Nigeria.
Impact of Biophilic Design Strategies on Wellbeing: A review
(Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Research, 2023-03) Omaga, Angela Ele-Ojo; Lawal, Lateef Ademola
Increasing urbanization and technological development continue to have impact on people’s connection to nature and access to greenery and open spaces. Emerging from these concerns is a new set of design principles and practices where nature seems to play significant role, especially in the built environments. “Biophilic architecture.” is a design approach that suggests that humans have an innate connection with nature and could assist to create healthy living and workspace for human’s comfort and wellbeing. A significant amount of literature in environmental psychology field provides empirical evidence that nature benefits humans, and that landscape and built environments can be designed to link humans and nature. The paper is aimed at providing a narrative review on biophilic design and human health outcomes. The initial review found that elements such as natural daylight, ventilation, and living architecture (green roofs and walls) which are integrated on or within a building envelope could be useful in creating well designed buildings capable of improving users’ health and well-being. To achieve the status of a restorative-built environment, the study suggests that architects and designers need to shift focus on the value and the use of natural elements such as forest-like landscapes, natural water features, and natural light in their designs.
Inclusive Birth Supporters’ Space and Recovery Care in the Postnatal Hospital Environment
(University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2018-11-15) Lawal, Lateef Ademola; Vale, Robert
The social and emotional dimensions of childbirth and recovery suggest the inclusion of partners and childbirth supporters’ to facilitate the recovery phase of new mothers while in hospitals but the postnatal environment currently appears largely to ignore the role of women’s childbirth supporters or families. The aim of this paper is to identify specific design features for enabling and enhancing the birth supporters’ role in the hospital postnatal environment. An on-line questionnaire survey complemented with focus group interviews with women and midwives was used to determine the physical design features for birth support-centred spaces in New Zealand hospitals, The findings revealed a disconnect in appreciation of the role of childbirth supporters even though participants found the need for an inclusive total environment both for birth supporters and new mothers yet there were hindrances due to existing hospital policies. These issues suggest a need to increase facilitation of the role of supporters in the postnatal environment. A range of design features for fostering inclusiveness for birth supporters is provided. The integration of more supportive family spaces can potentially engender recovery, while also fostering improved competencies in new mothers.
Intelligent Buildings: Buildings as Robots
(Journal of the Association of Architectural Educators in Nigeria, 2007-09) Tauheed, Alhaji Isah; Aniya, Jonathan U.; Lawal, Lateef Ademola
Those outside the construction industry often wonder how an assembly of inanimate building materials can be intelligent. The rapid evolution of information technology has led to the development of systems that can measure, evaluate and respond to change. An enhanced ability to control change has sparked developments in the way the physical environments are (particularly the buildings) are designed, resulting in significant growth in the area of intelligent buildings. Intelligent buildings can be likened to machines as they bear strong similarities to machines, in that they contain a myriad of mechanical, electrical, electronic, computing and communication devices. This paper examines the development of intelligent buildings as buildings controlled by machines or robots using high technology to optimise user comfort, energy consumption, safety and work efficiency; it discusses the benefits and the future of intelligent buildings with the purpose of advocating their rapid development in Nigeria.
Methodological Insights from Using a Mixed Methods Design in the Study of a Restorative Postnatal Hospital Environment
(International and Interdisciplinary Conference on Spatial Methods for Urban Sustainability (SMUS Conference), 2022-09-10) Lawal, Lateef Ademola; Vale, Robert
Over the past decade, the patient-centred care approach has been a prominent discourse for healthcare organisations and building designers on how to improve healthcare environments for patients’ satisfaction. This is due in part, to the growing awareness that physical design of hospitals has considerable impacts on patient’s recovery and health outcomes within healthcare environments. Women, who use hospitals for birth, are particularly vulnerable when it comes to sleep disruption and recovery. The unconducive and unrestful situations in hospitals, especially within the postnatal layouts of healthcare facilities are of concern to healthcare providers and caregivers with adverse health effects on the new mothers in terms of their recovery experiences and wellbeing. Additionally, the short hospital stays following the birth implies that women need an optimum environment that can facilitate the rest and recovery experience while in hospitals. This is a unique situation in that research in the childbirth environment has only focused on labour and birth experiences of women. Best and ideal restorative postnatal design features to facilitate the rest and recovery experience for women are unclear. This study utilised a mixed methods design (online questionnaire surveys and focus groups) as a likely effective way to understand the intricacies about short hospital stay, interactions of design layout and women’s wellbeing postnatally. This methodological paper aims to provide insights that may be beneficial to other researchers combining questionnaire surveys and focus groups as techniques, in the study of an ideal physical environment for optimum postnatal care. The paper discusses the process for engaging the participants (postnatal women and midwives), their backgrounds and experiences of the postnatal space, especially in large, tertiary hospitals, the vision of postnatal care in an ideal world and how to analyse the rich, multiple perspectives that contribute to an understanding of a restorative postnatal hospital environment. The paper outlines some of the best practices regarding design features that could be beneficial to care givers for effective and quality postnatal care for women prior to going home.
Methodological Insights from Using a Mixed Methods Design in the Study of a Restorative Postnatal Hospital Environment
(Archiculture, University of Jos., 2023-03) Lawal, Lateef Ademola
The patient-centred practice is an essential component in healthcare and the hospital environment play a vital role in its actualisation. Additionally, the interior space of a hospital can affect our perception of pain, restoration and wellbeing. Women, who use hospitals for birth, require sleep and rest crucial for their recovery and wellbeing. The unconducive and unrestful situations in hospitals, especially within the postnatal hospital layouts impact on recovery experiences and wellbeing of the new mothers. The short hospital stay following the birth implies that women need an optimum environment that can facilitate the rest and recovery experience while in hospitals. Best and ideal restorative postnatal design features to facilitate the rest and recovery experience for postnatal women are unclear. This study utilised a mixed methods design as a likely effective way to understand the intricacies of short hospital stay, interactions of design layout and women’s wellbeing postnatally. This methodological paper aims to provide insights that may be beneficial to researchers combining questionnaire surveys and focus groups as techniques in the study of an ideal hospital environment for optimum postnatal care. The paper discusses the process for engaging the participants (postnatal women and midwives), their backgrounds and experiences of the postnatal space, especially in large, tertiary hospitals, and how their rich, multiple perspectives contribute to an understanding of a restorative postnatal hospital environment. Best practices regarding design features that could be beneficial to care givers for effective and quality postnatal care for women prior to going home are presented.
Reinventing Prototype Buildings: The Significance of Prefabrication in Mass Housing Construction
(West Africa Built Environment Research (WABER) Conference, 2011-07) Lawal, Lateef Ademola
Increasingly, high quality housing remains a problem of the housing industry. Compared to the feat recorded by electronic and automotive industries, most prototype mass housing generally reveals a great deal of variability in the end products. which differs greatly from the original model. The variability is manifested in building components such as walls, floors and finishes, which compromise both quality and uniformity. Prefabrication is considered as a better approach to the production of mass housing. A number of visits was made to mass housing construction sites in Minna, capital of Niger State, Nigeria to assess discrepancies of work in the prototype buildings. A model prefab system was highlighted and other applications of innovative methods and techniques especially at the Massachusset Institute of Technology (MIT) House_n Research Consortium on open source buildings were discussed. The approach can engender high quality construction, increase standardisation of repetitive work and reduce time spent on construction.
Restorative Design Factors for Postnatal Hospital Environment: A Survey of Two Hospitals in Nigeria
(International Journal of Science Academic Research, 2023-05-26) Lawal, Lateef Ademola
In many developed countries and increasingly in developing countries, birth occurs in hospitals. Research in the childbirth environment suggests that the physical hospital environment affects a woman’s labour and birth including postnatal recovery experiences. Healthcare facilities with softer, peaceful environments such as artwork displays in the interiors and noise-proof spaces can influence patients’ healing process and offer support to new mothers during the postnatal phase. Existing childbirth environments studies have been mainly from developed countries; they have been least investigated in developing countries. Additionally, most studies are focused on the labour and birth rooms not on the postnatal hospital environment. Research also suggests a need to explore physical childbirth environments that are valued by women from culturally diverse backgrounds to gain insights into design features in the environment that enhance a positive labour and birth, and especially postnatal recovery experience. This study examined the design factors in the hospital environments for postnatal recovery experience using a survey questionnaire among 140 postnatal women who gave birth at two Nigerian hospitals. The findings of this empirical study support the need for a restorative postnatal hospital environment and spaces that potentially contribute to physical recovery of women and their wellbeing experiences after childbirth.
Teaching Business Skills to Architecture Students; A Case for Curriculum Change
(Journal of the Association of Architectural Educators in Nigeria, 2007-09) Lawal, Lateef Ademola; Abdulrahman, Mukaila E.
The 21st century is characterised by advancement in technology, communication and globalisation. Critical and imperative to this advancement is opportunity for people to compete. This paper takes a look at teaching of business skills to architecture students. It examines entrepreneurship approach as an avenue for the architecture students to create and develop their own businesses as a way of addressing unemployment after graduation. The paper recognises that technological changes have had their impact on the practice of architecture hence the need for students to be imbued with IT architecture skills to enable them perform various tasks. The paper further identifies the decline in the number of architectural design competitions in schools of architecture. These competitions are vehicles for promotion and exposure of budding talents, so the paper advocates for their organization and resuscitation in schools of architecture in Nigeria.
The Benefits of Renewable Energy Sources in the Built Environment
(Journal of Environmental Studies and Policy Analysis, 2009-07) Lawal, Lateef Ademola
The importance of energy in the built environment cannot be over-emphasised. in Nigeria, energy is being supplied to every home and built up areas through fossil fuels and hydro systems. The supplies of energy through these systems are not only unreliable but also have inherent dangers associated with their use with attendant pollution of the environment. Despite this shortcoming, most countries of the world ironically, still continue to rely on these sources for their energy supply. This paper seeks to explore other renewable sources of energy that can be used in the built environment. It examines solar energy as a veritable alternative for Nigeria because of the abundance supply of sunlight in the country, which has not been optimally utilised. It presents the experiences of countries in Africa and North America who have adopted the use of solar energy in their various communities. The paper gives suggestions toward ensuring adequate and affordable electricity in the built environment.