article · Heliyon
Architects play a significant role in balancing utility, aesthetics, and environmental integrity within the built environment. A study of 126 registered architectural firms in Enugu Metropolis, Nigeria, examined how sustainability principles are integrated into design practice amid changing industry demands. Conceptual awareness of sustainability is high among practitioners, but consistent implementation remains uneven, with roughly one third regularly integrating measures such as renewable energy systems. Adoption is motivated mainly by economic factors and supportive regulations, though practical competency gaps remain evident. Statistical evaluation confirmed a strong positive link between sustainability awareness and actual green design implementation. Addressing these barriers requires targeted interventions, including updating educational curricula, introducing mandatory green ratings for public projects, offering developer incentives, and fostering interdisciplinary knowledge sharing to promote climate-compatible construction.
Rapidly expanding construction activity demands building designs that balance local functional needs with climate resilience and resource efficiency. Identifying the specific educational, economic, and regulatory factors that influence sustainable architectural practices enables policymakers, professional bodies, and educators to target the barriers preventing broader implementation of environmentally responsible building methods across urban centres.
The findings provide actionable market evidence for regulatory bodies, professional institutes, and training providers aiming to drive green building practices. Technology suppliers and educational developers can address the demonstrated gap between conceptual awareness and technical implementation. Because this research evaluates industry behaviour and proposes policy mechanisms rather than a standalone technology, it operates at the applied regulatory and professional readiness level.
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Architects play a crucial role in shaping sustainable built environments that balance utility and aesthetics without compromising ecological integrity. Hence embracing sustainability remains an urgent imperative as construction activities expand to meet Nigeria's development needs. This research examines how architects in Enugu Metropolis, Nigeria are assimilating principles of sustainability within their design practices against a transforming professional backdrop. The study utilized primary data targeting 126 registered architectural firms in the study area through a questionnaire survey and achieved 88.9 % response rate. Data were analyzed using JASP and Pearson product moment correlation. Results revealed high conceptual awareness of sustainability among architects, with 32.2 % consistently applying strategies like renewable energy systems in designs. Economic considerations and supportive regulations emerged as key assimilation motivators. However, uneven integration levels underline lingering barriers. While 40.6 % rated sustainability incorporation in education as very good, 13.5 % perceived it as moderate, indicating gaps in practical competencies. Statistical analysis (P-value = 0.001) showed a significant positive relationship between architects' awareness of sustainability concepts and their implementation of sustainable design practices. These findings highlight the need for strengthened educational programs, policy incentives, and industry collaborations to accelerate sustainable architecture adoption. Recommendations include updating curricula, mandating green ratings for public projects, incentivizing developers, and promoting interdisciplinary knowledge transfer. By addressing identified gaps, it implies that architects can lead the sustainability transition while meeting local built environment needs, ensuring a more climate-compatible and socially equitable habitat creation.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39400
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