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https://doi.org/10.56556/gssr.v2i1.452 

                                                                  

 

Global Scientific Research              46 
 

Porous Morphology Eco-Efficiency Design Process of a Selected Masterpiece Building 
and its prospects on the Environment 
 
Ogundeji Peter Ayobami*1, Ogundeji Bolarinwa2, Olomiye Taiwo Adebayo2 , Ekundayo Julius Woleola2 

 

1Department of Architecture, Federal University of Tech., Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria 
2University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Ondo State, Nigeria 
 
Corresponding Author: Ogundeji Peter Ayobami; peter.ayobami.pa@gmail.com 
Received: 10 March, 2023, Accepted: 22 March, 2023, Published: 23 March, 2023 
 
Abstract 

The characteristic of urbanization, modernization and it effect on the environment has become a disastrous event especially 

towards the beginning of 20th Century (C). Researches have shown an excessive exploitation of minerals both on and 

beneath the earth crust were consume every year for the purpose of construction alone.  Thus, not only decrease in volume 

of earth materials but also the impact on environmental thus need attentions. This study observes that the conversion of 

material; exploitation; energy used during construction; energy associated with heating; cooling; lighting and ventilating 
commercial buildings have potential consequence on the environment. A selected study of masterpiece building with 

philosophy of porous structure, which certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in Nigeria, was 

reviewed. Finding indicates that conceptual design from the school of thought help in setting reasonable objectives at the 

designing process stage. Also, energy efficient building will reduce wastage of earth materials with alternate source of 

natural energy, application of natural element other than artificial during building construction and occupancy stage are 

mitigation strategies to negate aforementioned effect on the environment. Conceptual frameworks with composite notions 

from various domains were explored to include concept of porosity from medicine among others was utilized, acceptable for 

maximum lighting, cross ventilation and circulations. Hence, energy efficiency was achieved which is friendly to the 

environment. 

 

Keywords: Sustainable building; Porosity for fenestration; Iconic and modernization; Pollution; Environmental Impact 
Assessment (EIA) 

 

Introduction 

 

Vernacular building types evolved in response to local 

availability of resources such as wood, grass, clay, stone 

(Arthur, 1991) and the basic need of shelter for man 

(Adedeji and Olotuah, 2011). The discovery of copper, 

lead, iron and glass which are more efficient in response to 

structural stability and modern architecture encourages 

industrial revolution; manufacturing technologies created 

new opportunities from existing materials and introduced 
entirely new materials for construction with the help of 

mass exploitation of fossil fuels from abundant sources of 

coal, crude oil and natural gas in Nigeria but with energy 

inefficient buildings (RAEng, 2007; Arthur, 1991). The 

industrial revolution thus resulted to increasingly 

construction of mass building and simultaneously 

urbanization through commercial and industrial 

organizations (WHO, 1992; Olotuah, 2005, RAEng, 2010; 

Amoa, 2012; Aribigbola, 2001). Building types that 

evolved includes intensive, massive both in height and 

width and iconic. 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) highlighted 

‘significant changes on the surface of the land’ due to 

construction activity which involves clearing vegetation, 

excavation, disrupting habitats, changes to drainage 

patterns and the water table, noise pollution,  dust, 

vibration among others (FRN, 2006). According to the 

United Kingdom Green Building Council (UKGBC, 2019) 

opined that the construction sector uses more than 400 

million tons of material each year, much of which has a 

negative environmental impact due to intensive extraction 
of raw materials, transporting to manufacturing plant and 

site, consecutively with generation of waste, energy 

consumption both in manufacturing and in use. 

The Town and Country Planning of England and Wales 

Regulations (2011) sets out a requirement to carry out an 

environmental impact assessment (EIA) as part of the 

planning application process for certain projects been 

large, high magnitude or complex projects basically to 

ensure that the environmental effects of a proposed project 

development are properly accessed before consideration 

(UKGBC, 2019). An EIA provides the local planning 



Global Sustainability Research 

Global Scientific Research   47 
 

authority with better information about certain types of 

project, enabling them to make an informed decision about 

whether permission should be granted or to allow 

imposition of more appropriate conditions and 

responsibility purposely to mitigate possible negative 
impacts (Development Control Department, 2007; FRN, 

2006; Lagos State of Nigeria, 2005; Vagale, 2000; Oyo 

State of Nigeria, 2012; Oyo State Government of Nigeria, 

2014; UKGBC, 2019). However, natural forces, element 

and advantages over time have been encouraged to be 

utilized and it is the major process to mitigate urban 

housing design and construction impact on the 

environment. In the 20C, many buildings became totally 

dependent on fossil fuel energy to make them habitable. 

Before 21C, buildings must be designed to function with 

much lower levels of energy dependency (RAEng., 2010). 

Natural ventilation is one of the most familiar aspects of 
energy efficient building design. This work tend to review 

existing completed construction project that satisfied 

LEED criteria and requirements, to correlate its existing 

ecosystem friendly expectation thus, to propagate its 

contribution to knowledge, to encourage springing up of 

friendly prototype and typology towards safe of the built 

environment. 

Problem Definition 

Impact on the environment of masterpiece development in 

the urban center takes a cognizance examination of 

processes, materials and technologies to improve air 
movement, thermal performance, and control of moisture, 

ambient energy, light and acoustics during construction, 

occupancy stage and variably, need to mitigate change in 

climatic implication on the environment. Research has 

demonstrated that buildings which combine good 

architecture to include perceptions, beliefs, principles, aims 

and or school of thought underlying individual's practices 

and conduct with environmental design can result in 

significant increase in occupant satisfactions and 

productivity as regard low energy building (Fadamiro, 

1998). 

The aim is to study the impact of masterpiece development 
on the environment while the objectives of the study are to: 

i. Identify and to select a masterpiece building in 

Nigeria, 

ii. Determine the architectural philosophy of the 

Design process, 

iii. Examine the impacts of such development on the 

environment, 

iv. Examine significant increase in occupant 

satisfactions with good architecture of 

environmentally energy efficient design. 

 

Background Knowledge to Philosophy of Porosity in 

Design Process 

 

Schön (1990) examines the design process as a situated 

activity during which designers seek to solve a problem. 

The conceptual task of a designer is to analyze the 

problems that require solution and the approach through a 

framework. Steven Holl is one of the most influential 

contemporary American architects, Holl as stated in the 

work of Sotirious (2007) implemented porosity as a 
concept transferred from medicine, biology and organic 

chemistry in designing the 350-unit student residence 

named Simmons Hall at MIT as shown in Plate 1. Holl’s 

philosophy is identified as porous (Sotirios, 2007). 

Review of Porosity’s School of thought in Simmons Hall 

Building 

Sotirious (2007) described the features and location of the 

Simmons Hall dormitory that it belongs to a strip of 

potential new MIT buildings along Vassar Street, in 

Cambridge, Massachusetts. The strip forms the Vassar 

Street edge along the Briggs Athletic Field, and it is 

located next to the railroad tracks. The Simmons Hall is 
350 bed residences of 10 stories high, 382 feet long, 

providing amenities to students such as a 125-seat theater, 

a night café, a restaurant with an exit to the Vassar Street. 

Instead of the typical in Massachusetts urban brick wall 

model, the strip was envisioned by architect Holl and his 

architectural team with a “porous” membrane characteristic 

(Sotirious, 2007). During the process of designing 

Simmons Hall as shown in Plate 1, the features of pores 

and porous materials were approached. Sotirious (2007) 

explained further that the design concept of porosity was 

imported from biology, medicine and organic chemistry to 
transform a “porous” morphology for Simmons Hall, via a 

series of design operations. Accordingly, building mass of 

Simmons Hall was designed to have five large scale 

recesses, while a system of vertical cavities creates vertical 

porosity allowing light and air to circulate within the 

building envelop. Moreover, the building facades have a 

large number of operable sieve-like windows (Sotirios, 

2007). 

 

 
Plate 1: Simmons Hall student residence at MIT showing 

pores on its facades 

Source: Sotirios, 2007 

 

Environmental Emission Performance 



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Global Scientific Research   48 
 

 

In the early 20C, the modern architectural movement 

emerged, bringing new forms of building (Amao, 2012) 

that neglected former primitive form and many of these 

early examples of modernist movement showed little 
concern about rate of energy consumption, pollution, 

scope, magnitude, building’s performance and impact 

consideration to its immediate environment. Effect 

consideration arose after World War II in response to 

building’s environmental performance (RAEng, 2010). 

The field saw a strong interest at the time of the energy 

crisis during 1970s and again now as energy efficiency is 

becoming more concern in the evolution of buildings. 

 
Figure 1: Building Metamorphosis from shelter, house, 
mansion and masterpiece 

Source: RAEng, 2010 

 

Vernacular building types evolved in response to local 

availability of resources (Arthur, 1991). The mass 

exploitation of fossil fuels instigated man to build resource 

and energy inefficient buildings (RAEng, 2010). Figure 1, 

shows the metamorphosis of primitive shelter which is one 

of the three major necessity of life has opined by Adedeji 

and Olotuah (2011), vernacular architecture is the 

traditional ways of life which simultaneously reflect on 

human shelter whereas; modern architecture involves 

revolutionary ideas and styles in art especially, architecture 
as a reaction to traditional forms; and international style is 

an early 20C architectural style in the United States and 

Europe that favored the use of simple geometric lines, 

spacious interiors, materials such as steel, reinforcement 

concrete, glass, columns, long façade/open window, open 

space are achievable with aid of technological 

advancement (Adedeji and Olotuah, 2011; Anthony, 2014; 

Fadamiro, 1998). 

Building impact studies became one of the principal 

drivers in construction of new buildings for the 21C to 

meet emerging challenges. Hence, the urgent need to 

reduce mass exploitation of the earth materials, 
dependence on fossil fuels for energy and resources 

conservation which are the major steps to reduce effect on 

the ecosystem. The need for sustainable buildings is 

important and achievable through application of energy 

efficiency and natural element (RAEng, 2010). However, 

Low energy buildings require a detailed understanding of 

the natural forces (sun, natural ventilation and other 

climatic factor) at play. 

Figure 2, shows the Building Regulations Carbon Emission 

and Emission Relative Revision Trajectory by RAEng. 

(2010) shows that for domestic sector projects over the 
periods of 2004 to 2015, there is  successful progressive 

changes in regulation to carbon neutral which is not 

significant in the building industries thus, need to set a 

targets for energy efficiency which is carbon reduction to 

mitigate impact on the environment.  

 

 

 
Figure 2: Building Regulations Carbon Emissions 

Source: RAEng., 2010. 

100 100 100 100 100

75 75 75 75

55 55 55

45 45 45

0 0 0 0 0
0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Building Regulations Carbon
Emissions Trajectory

Em
is

si
o

n
 r

el
at

iv
e 

to
 2

00
2

 r
ev

is
io

n
 



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Global Scientific Research   49 
 

 

Methodology 

 

This research pivoted at analyzing elements on 

development and optimal use of master piece buildings in 
Nigeria, taking a review of not only an iconic building but 

relatively tall. That is, this study involves physical 

investigation of a selected high-rise building by visual 

inspection, personal interviews with employees occupying 

this tall building, physical appraisal and deficiencies in the 

building. Questionnaires were distributed to thirty (30) 

professionals and thirty (30) non-professionals on 

problems they perceived, associated with masterpiece 

structure in Nigeria and how they can be avoided. The 

administrations of structured questionnaires included 

colored photographs of the selected building and questions 

relating to eco-friendly evaluation and demographic 
information of respondents.  Regarding the selection of 

respondents, the sampling did not pretend to be statistically 

representation of the population of Lagos but preference 

was given to understanding the energy efficiency 

expression of the building. Information on efficiency 

element, renewable natural element (sunlight for day 

lighting, wind for ventilation through control fenestration), 

exploitation of construction materials, fossil fuel and 

alternate source of energy, landscaping element and their 

immediate effect on the environment was investigated 

while secondary data were collected from library banks to 

include journals, newspapers, magazines, Internet and also 

from other personnel with information as regard 
masterpiece buildings.  Lagos state in Nigeria was selected 

as the study area being the economic stronghold of West 

Africa sub-region and former capital of Nigeria. Tall, 

masterpiece and iconic building development in Nigeria 

are noted to be significant in the city. Hence, data for this 

research was collected by visiting a selected high-rise 

structure in Lagos to determine its current status compare 

to a selected case study of international standard. Amongst 

problems investigated include maintenance, functionality, 

emergency preparedness, energy efficiency and comfort. 

Tall Buildings in the Continents, Africa and Nigeria 

Hierarchically, Anthony (2014) noted that most tall 
buildings of significance were built in the United State of 

America, some countries across Europe and later Asian 

countries. Anthony (2014) quoted data published in the 

1980s that about 49% of the world’s tall buildings were 

built in North America and that it has now changed 

drastically as Asia now has the largest share of 32% 

against North America’s 24% as shown in Table 1.  

 

 

Table 1: Tall Buildings per Continents 

Region Nos. Countries Percent (%) Nos. Building 

Asia 20 32.2 35,016 

North America 18 23.9 26,053 

Europe 20 23.7 25,809 

South America 10 16.6 18,129 

Oceania 7 2.6 2,839 

Africa 20 1.0 1,078 

Total 95 100 108,92 

Source: Emporis, 2006 

 

In 2009, Anthony (2014) pointed that the UN population 

fund recorded that the population of Africa had reached 

1,022,234,000 hence, proclaimed Africa the second most 

populated continent behind Asia and also noted that the 

continent’s population is expected to reach 1.9 billion by 

the year 2050 and this will definitely spur developmental 

challenges especially in the urban cities. Massive, tall and 

masterpiece development begun to spring up to meet the 

demand of the increased population in Africa and notable 

buildings are listed in Table 2. 

 

 

Table 2: List of High-rise Masterpiece Buildings in Africa 
S/N Building’s Name Floor Height Year Country 

1 Carlton centre  50  223m  1973  South Africa  

2 Ponte city Apartments  54  173m  1975  South Africa  

3 Bahia centre  31  161m  2008  Algeria  

4 NITEL building  32  160m  1979  Nigeria  

5 Marble towers  32  152m  1973  South Africa  

6 Pearl Dawn  31  152m  2010  South Africa  

7 SA Reserve Bank Building  38  150m  1988  South Africa  

8 Villagio Vista  35  150m  2011  Ghana  

9 Metlife Centre  28  150m  1993  South Africa  

10 88 on field  26  147m  1985  South Africa 

Source: Anthony, 2014 



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Global Scientific Research   50 
 

 

Nigeria with high increasing population is blessed to be 

one of the most economically developed nations on the 

African continent occupies a land area of about 923,768 sq. 

km and Lagos state happened to be former capital with 
major economic activities in the country also houses 

majority of the tall, iconic and masterpiece building which 

are largely attributed to the fact that most of the major 

financial and governmental activities are conducted in the 

city (Anthony, 2014). Ogundeji and Fadairo (2018); and 

Ogundeji, Fadairo, Ogundeji and Ekundayo (2022) 

explained further the urbanization as the movement of 

people from rural areas to urban areas to experience or 

acquire different benefits that are rare in the rural milieu. 

Thus, experiences massive influx of citizens from the rural 
areas in search of greener pasture which also contribute to 

Lagos growth hence, reason Lagos is selected as the study 

area. Table 3 shows list of some tall and masterpiece 

buildings in Nigeria with majority located in Lagos, 

Nigeria. 

 

 

Table 3: List of Tall and masterpiece Buildings in Nigeria 

S/N  Name Of Building  Floors  Height  Year  Location  

1.  NITEL/NECOM house  32  160m  1979  Lagos  

2.  Union Bank Headquarters  28  124m  N/A  Lagos  

3.  Cocoa house  26  105m  1965  Ibadan  

4.  Independence house  23  103m  1960  Lagos  

5.  CBN Building  19  100m  U/C  Lagos  
6.  Great Nigeria house  22  95m  N/A  Lagos  

7. Heritage Place 14 N/A 2016 Lagos 

NOTE: N/A means Not Available; U/C means Under Construction; 

Source: authors’ archive, 2019 

 

A Selected Masterpiece Building in Lagos, Nigeria 

 

Susty Buildings (2016) opined that Heritage Place is one of 

the iconic buildings in Nigeria. The selected masterpiece 

development which is Heritage Place is Located at Alfred 

Rewane Road, Ikoyi,it provides quality office space in the 

commercial capital of Nigeria. Plate 2 and Plate 3 are 
pictures describing the building. Heritage Place is a 

massive rectilinear Modernist building with its office tower 

spreading on fourteen (14) floors providing over 15,736 

square meters (sqm) of offices space ranging from 450sqm 

to 2,000sqm, 350 parking bays, double volume reception, 

suspended ceilings, and a cafe/coffee shop. It was 

completed in the first quarter of 2016 (Susty Buildings, 

2016). Laurus Development Partners was nominated  to 

oversees consortium of consultants including Capita 

Symonds UK, ECAD Architects, CA Consultants, Morgan 

Omonitan Abe and Tillyard Limited. The main contractor 
was ITB Limited which is also one of the leading 

construction companies in Nigeria while the nominated 

developer, Actis and Primerose Development Company 

which is a private equity firm were also the team behind 

the completed Ikeja City Mall, Abuja’s Jabi Lake Mall 

Development and 9-floors office property with sustainable 

features located within the bustling Airport City of Accra  

which is in close proximity with Kingsway Tower, 

Alliance Place, B.A.T Rising Sun, Chelsea Group Hotel 

and Temple Tower (Susty Buildings, 2016). According to 

Susty Buildings (2016), Actis ensure that the project meets 

international green and sustainable building standards by 
attaining a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design 

(LEED) certificate, a sustainable building rating system set 

out by the United States Green Building Council 

(USGBC). These features were expected to lead to 30-40 

percent reduction in energy consumption, a valuable asset 

considering high power and energy costs in Nigeria. (Susty 

Buildings, 2016) 

 
Plate 2: Aerial View of the Heritage Place Building at 

Night Time 

Source: Susty Buildings, 2016 

 

Porosity as Conceptual Framework  

 

Pore from Greek means “a minute opening”. Porosity or 

“the state of being porous” in the context of organic 

chemistry and the study of plants and animals indicates the 
existence of small openings. In biology and in medicine 

porosity is defined as: 

 “the attribute of an organic body to have a large number 

of small openings and passages that allow matter to pass 

through” (Sotirios, 2007). 

https://sustyvibes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/HERITAGE-PLACE-224.jpg


Global Sustainability Research 

Global Scientific Research   51 
 

Holl’s contextual definition of porosity by Sotirios, (2007) 

was defined as part of “permeability hypothesis” that a 

porous morphology would produce considerable effects 

and positive impact on urban and building scale. That is, 

better air and light circulation, better accessibility and 
visibility, better communication between interior and 

exterior spaces. The assembly of the building container 

was practice by the production of pores, openings, internal 

channels and cavities. Sotirios, (2007) explained further 

that porosity can be accomplished in four ways: 

i. First, by creating large-scale recesses of building 

envelop; 

ii. Second by creating protrusions of building 

mass/envelop as shown in Plate 3; 

iii. Third, by distributing a large and wide windows 

of various shape and size on the elevations as 

shown in Plate 3; 
iv. Fourth, by distributing a number of free-form 

cavities penetrating the building from top to 

bottom, or and a case of typical court yard. 

 

 

 

Plate 3: Aerial View of the Heritage Place Building at Daytime 
Source: Susty Buildings, 2016 

 

Steven Holl team of Architects, NY as noted by Sotirios 

(2016) explained typical word and synonyms of porosity as 

the case may be to be porous, permeable, honeycomb, 

screen, net, riddle, sponge, pore, opening, hole, aperture, 

passageway, cribriform, sieve-like, sieve, pervious, and 

unrestricted. 

 

Findings and Discussions 

 
Table 4 shows that 60% of the professional respondents are 

males while 40% are females. 80% of the non- professional 

respondents are males while 20% are females. Also, 

43.33% of the respondents are within the age group of 21-

30 for the professionals while 50% of the non-

professionals respondents are within the age group 41-50. 

In addition, 50% of the non-professionals are Bachelor’s 

degree holders while 60% of the professionals hold same 

level of education. Table 4 indicates that majority of the 

respondents are learned with probability of understanding 

the research area, questions with a reliable response. 

 

 

Table 4: Respondents’ Characteristics 

 Professionals Non-Professionals 

Gender Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage 

Male 18 60 24 80 

Female 12 40 6 20 

Total 30 100 30 100 

Age     

21-30 13 43.33 8 26.67 

31-40 10 33.33 7 23.3 

41-50 5 16.67 15 50.0 

51-60 2 6.67 - 0 



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Total 30 100 30 100 

Education     

HND 3 10 12 40 

BSC/B.TECH 18 60 15 50 

MASTERS 9 30 3 10 

Others -- - - - 

Total 30 100 30 100 

Source: Authors’ archive, 2019 

 

 

Table 5: Shows findings towards environmental friendly need on Heritage Place building 

Factors and findings Representation in graph % 

Design zoning A 100 
Natural air and light circulation B 98 

Functionality and communication C 95 

Open and wide windows D 93 
Double glazing to reduce emission of heat E 92.3 

LEED Certificate in design and construction F 90 

Façade and cladding G 88 
Water efficiency and storm water control H 85 

Technology advancement; cctv, sensors, alarm etc I 80 

Vertical parking J 78 
Mechanical facilities zoning K 75 
Landscaping degree  L 50 
Fossil fuel consumption M 30 
Noise pollution N 15 

Smoke pollution O 10 
Floods P 2 

Source: Authors’ archive, 2019 

 

 

Fig. 3: Findings towards environmental friendly advantages on Heritage Place building 

Source: Authors’ archive, 2019 

 

0

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40

60

80

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P



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The philosophy of Heritage building takes after the 

porosity structure’s school of thought earlier implemented 

by Holl’s Architect purposely to achieve environmental 

friendly building with air, light circulation, better 

accessibility, visibility, and better communication between 
interior and exterior spaces which made it a functional 

building scale (Sotirios, 2007). 

Heritage place is the first commercial building to achieve 

LEED certification in both design and construction; it 

applies cutting edge technology to fulfill environmental 

expectations at all time. The façade of the edifice 

comprises of alternating composite cladding and high 

quality Low- E double glazing on the upper floors reduce 

need for artificial lighting during the day and hollow fins 

substituting the floor to ceiling windows on the first five 

floors which forms the parking space compare to common 

horizontal we are used to which consume much space 
(Susty Buildings, 2016). UKGBC (2019) maintained that 

LEED basically includes a method of rating system for 

building types around the world with the aim of helping 

owners, occupants and operators be environmentally 

responsible and use resources efficiently. Thus, table 4 and 

Fig. 3 indicate attributes among other features that were 

utilized and that categorized the case in stydy to be energy 

efficient with LEED Certification. 

Plate 4 shows drop-off point for visitors from which the 5 

level multi storey parking could be accessed. Plate 5 also 

shows the reception area, the use of wood has been 
creatively employed to the ceilings as one advances from 

reception to the elevator lobby to give a sustainably 

pleasing experience. 

 

 

 

 

 
Plate 4: Drop-off Zone 

Source: Susty Buildings, 2016 

 

 
Plate 5: Reception Area with wooden finishes on the 

ceiling 

Source: Susty Buildings, 2016 

 

 

 

 
Plate 6: Meeting Room with Folding Door Partition 

Source: Susty Buildings, 2016 

 

 

 

Open space meeting room with partitions by folding door 

to allow for expansion of meeting space for variety usage 
whenever desired is shown in Plate 6 indicate functionality 

of the building, the rentable meeting rooms are also located 

on the ground floor beside the reception. The cafeteria is 

serviced by a dry kitchen and can be found on the opposite 

side of meeting area. Plate 6 also observes floor to ceiling 

glazing which provides vista of the outdoor with provisions 

of an outdoor eating area to improve that experience.  

Mechanical services such as the Generator House is also 

on the ground floor but zoned away from the public areas. 

Plate 7 shows other mechanical facilities such as heating, 

ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) plants, exit deck 

and hydraulic-powered devices are located on the roof 
level. 



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Global Scientific Research   54 
 

 
Plate 7: Showing floors, long window façade, deck housing 

mechanical facilities and green areas 

Source: Susty Buildings, 2016 

 

Plate 7 also describe the general planning of the facility, 

service core is placed at the center and comprises 6 lifts for 

passengers and one lift for goods movement, an escape 

stair, storage and office spaces for the Facility Mangers. 

The centrally placed core actually provides an advantage of 

arranging all office space with the inevitable wide-view of 

the outdoor. 
The Characteristic of Heritage Place after careful review 

has less environmental impact. Hence, the primary features 

are itemized; 

The building’s orientation maximizes natural lighting, 

ventilation and minimizes solar exposure which variably 

reduces energy requirements for cooling, heating and air 

quality systems 

High efficiency glazing and external thermal envelope also 

reduce demand on cooling requirements (Susty Buildings, 

2016). 

It is the first LEED Certified Commercial Building in 
Nigeria both at design and construction. 

Heritage building also achieved between 30–40% 

reductions in energy consumption compared to common 

practice building in Lagos (Susty Buildings, 2016). The 

use of natural light and natural ventilation to minimize 

energy demand is also observed. 

The automatic presence detectors, sensors and high 

efficiency lighting from technological advancement are 

milestone achievement as energy efficiency is concern. 

Occupants’ thermal, visual and working comfort is 

increased by level of indoor air quality through adequate 

ventilation and quality of materials (Susty Buildings, 
2016). 

Water demand is minimized through rain water harvesting 

and condensate recovery from cooling units. Also, there is 

provision of water tank to collect or retain discharge of 

foul and storm water to the local sewers in Lugard Road 

(Susty Buildings, 2016). 
 

Recommendations 

 

Measures put in to consideration by the building 

professionals in the course of Heritage Building 

construction and it effect on the environment which 

consequently made the building an environmental friendly 

are specifically not limited to the followings; 

Architect philosophy of porosity encourages environmental 

friendly building with air and light circulation, better 

accessibility, visibility and better communication between 

interior and exterior spaces of building. 
The urgent need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and 

massive exploitation of building materials will go a long 

way to reduces carbon emission impact on our 

environment. Thus, integrating renewable energy such as 

energy obtainable from the Sun, wind, waves, etc. other 

than energy generated from fossil fuels, thermal for heating 

water are economical, reliable, with viable technologies 

and simple application. 

Conventionally, designed buildings priority must be to 

minimize energy demands in the first place. Hence, 

building should be designed to be naturally ventilated and 
lighting in architecture. Natural ventilation is one of most 

familiar aspects of energy efficient building design. 

Use façade innovation system that will moderate solar 

gains and maximize potential for daylight. 

The use of local knowledge to suit climate through 

insulation to standards 

Uses of double and or triple glazed windows to prevent 

drafts which is current of air flow to minimizes heat loss 

through windows 

Building materials of high thermal mass were used to 

prevent fluctuation of indoor temperature, to minimize heat 

loss and the  impact on the environment is the energy 
required to produce materials of high thermal mass. 

All pipes that were used were insulated purposely to 

minimize heat loss and gain for hot and cold pipes and the 

effect on the environment is understanding aspect that the 

colored insulation could be perceived or interpreted by the 

individual. 

Position and orientation of windows and light shafts 

encourage maximum utilization of natural day lighting 

which is enough to reduce need for artificial lighting thus, 

with the effect of creating in-door and out-door connection. 

Open-able windows, chimney for stack effect, underground 
culvert and availability of air inlet are existing features on 

Heritage building which also amount to energy 

conservation to the milieu. 



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Thermostat were used to ensure that heat is efficient, stays 

at a set temperature as ‘heat control’ and can be regulated 

as conditions change throughout the year. 

The use of motion sensors for water taps reduces water 

consumption as taps turn off automatically and 
simultaneously reduces impact of sewage in to the milieu. 

Also, use of spray taps reduces water and energy used 

consumption by 80% compared to normal taps. This also 

yielded water conservation. 

Waterless urinals do not require water supplies, cheap to 

install with no possibility of damage by frost. In addition, a 

dual flush or low flush toilet too reduces water 

consumption from 6l to 4.5l or less per flushing. Recently, 

dual flushing has raised awareness on water consumption 

Rainwater harvesting achievement through provisions of 

storage tanks and treatment is to collect rainwater to be 

used for flushing toilets and that has reduces demand for 
local water supply. Collection of water from washbasins 

and other grey water with necessary minimal treatment if 

water is not stored for long is used for flushing toilets. 

There are Low wattage light bulbs purposely efficient to 

reduce energy usage and they variably contribute to less 

heating of room and less energy consumption. 

Motion sensors on lights reduce energy usage on 

unnecessary lighting when the occupants are not in the 

building. 

Door sensors were avoided because no energy would be 

required for normal doors but sensor door consumes 
energy. Peradventure, doors for disability can be opened by 

switches for comfort, with little or no support to the 

disabled. 

External blinds were used on windows to prevent 

overheating in summer as reviewed. Planting deciduous 

trees with a good landscape provide shading in the summer 

and would allow for heat gain in the winter. 

The location of structure within buildings but other than 

virgin environment would provide protection from wind, 

thereby reducing heat loss and the draughts and the effect 

on the environment is its attraction for other buildings to 

spring-up. 
 

Conclusion 

 

Design process help in setting reasonable objectives at the 

designing process stage for the purpose of solving a 

problem (Gero, 1998). Conceptual frameworks may be 

composites involving notions from various domains of 

inquiry (Knight, 2005). The concept of porosity was 

transferred from medicine; biology and organic chemistry 

in to new urban context hence, aid air and light circulation, 

better accessibility, visibility and better communication 
between interior and exterior spaces of building.  In order 

to create new buildings and adapt existing ones to be fit for 

the 21C, need to be environmental friendly.  Performance 

analysis and energy prediction, the architectural design, 

available resources and with the empirical construction 

knowledge will help master builders not to construct 

inefficient buildings whose energy performance falls far 

below that which we need to achieve (RAEng, 2007). 

Government set out in Building a Greener Future (DCLG, 

2007) that all new homes must be zero carbon from 2016 
(UK Green Building Council, 2019). As steps to achieving 

this target, energy efficiency standards for new homes are 

to be improved, through Building Regulations, by 25% in 

2010 and 44% in 2013 relative to current 2006 standards. 

The Proposals for amending Part L and Part F of the 

Building Regulations (DCLG, 2009) make it clear that a 

similar trajectory in Figure 2 for carbon reduction will 

apply to non-domestic buildings. In the UK, the 2006 

revision to Part L of the Building Regulations (DCLG, 

2006) in itself required a 25% reduction in carbon 

emissions over the previous standard.  

In a bid to mitigate climate change and secure future 
energy supplies for the purpose of urban development 

which are masterpiece or massive building with the 

minimum environmental, social and economic impacts, we 

must fundamentally popularize green architecture that is, 

protection of nature, ecology and environment; and to be 

able to sustain it (Fadamiro, 1998; DCLG, 2007; RAEng, 

2010). RAEng (2010) opined that the association of energy 

with heating, cooling, lighting and ventilating commercial 

buildings accounts for two thirds of the carbon emissions. 

Building must possess such features to optimize physical 

characteristics of buildings and their systems to balance 
these energy demands, exploit natural energy and minimize 

the reliance on artificial energy for environmental friendly 

in 21C. The Heritage Place building, Ikoyi has positive and 

less impact on the environment with the low energy 

consumption and emission, from the design stage to 

construction stage with less exploration of materials (sand, 

stone, granite and water) for concrete work of the frame 

structure (less massive concrete), natural ventilation and 

lighting to reduce burning of fuel to power plant and 

appliances, storm water collection to reduce effect of 

flooding (Akintola, 1978), green planting reduces effect of 

sunlight and global warming (Fadamiro, 1998; DCLG, 
2007), among others. Heritage place Ikoyi shows that 

sustainability, environmental friendly design and 

construction in urban center is feasible in Nigeria. 

Energy efficient design can be achieved with collaboration, 

inter-disciplinary knowledge between the architects, 

engineers and other related professionals from the onset of 

the project. By the time the building design has been 

sketched, the major opportunities for energy conservation 

which previous studies have shown to have negative 

impact on the environment would have been captured and 

mitigated. Hence, the man build-up environment would be 
guaranteed to be friendly. 

 

Acknowledgement: None 

 

Funding: None 



Global Sustainability Research 

Global Scientific Research   56 
 

 

Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of 

interests  

 

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