A Framework for Thermal Comfort in Contemporary Buildings in Nigeria: Adapting Passive Design Strategies from Colonial and Tropical Architecture Movement, Rivers State, Nigeria

Passive design strategies have long been employed in traditional buildings as effective architectural responses to achieve thermal comfort, particularly in regions with challenging climatic conditions. These strategies, deeply rooted in indigenous knowledge and adapted to local environments, successfully mitigated the effects of high temperatures, humidity, and solar radiation. However, in contemporary architectural practice, especially in modern buildings, such approaches are often overlooked or underutilized. This study examines two significant architectural styles within the Nigerian context: the colonial era (1920s to 1950) and the tropical architecture movement era (1950s to 1980). This study employs a quantitative approach comprising case studies as its primary strategy and survey of literature as its secondary strategy. Data was collected through direct observations using tools such as a thermohygrometer and the Building Envelope Fabric Inventory, as well as through structured questionnaires administered to building occupants. In addition, a literature survey was conducted to gather relevant secondary data to support the analysis. The sample size consisted of 42 buildings, evenly split between 21 colonial architecture buildings and 21 tropical architecture movement buildings. These case studies were drawn from five towns across five local government areas within the study region. Forty-four (44) passive design features such as windows with jalousies, vents in roofs and ceilings, deep eaves, and hooded windows were identified across both architectural styles, with only six features found to be common to both. The analysis revealed notable differences in the thermal performance of the two styles. Based on these insights, the study developed a thermal comfort framework that can inform the retrofitting of existing buildings and guide the design of contemporary structures in similar climatic contexts.