Climate Adaptations of Religious Buildings in Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated climate-responsive design strategies employed in Orthodox church buildings within Enugu Metropolis, Nigeria, a region characterised by a temperate-humid climate with distinct wet and dry seasons, high temperatures, and intense sunshine. These climatic conditions pose significant challenges for building design, often leading to excessive heat gain and humidity issues. Climate-adaptive architecture, which integrates natural climatic factors into building design, offers a potential solution by minimising reliance on mechanical cooling and promoting indoor comfort. Focusing on religious buildings, which often accommodate large congregations and consume substantial energy for climate control, this research aimed to identify and evaluate effective design approaches for addressing local climate requirements and enhancing climate resilience as well as proffer recommendations for future building projects. A survey design was employed, utilizing observation schedules and questionnaires to collect data from six selected churches within Enugu Metropolis, with a minimum of a 1000-person seating capacity. The findings revealed that while all surveyed churches demonstrate a good response to the tropical climate, the Cathedral Church of Good Shepherd exhibits the highest performance across various parameters, including thermal comfort, natural airflow and air quality, effective shading from the Sun, and visual appeal through landscape elements and water conservation. The study concluded by providing recommendations for enhancing climate responsiveness in future church building designs in Enugu and similar tropical climates such as optimal building orientation, natural ventilation, appropriate material selection, shading devices, rainwater harvesting, and integrated landscaping.