ASSESSING THE INTEGRATION OF SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN STRATEGIES AMONG BUILT ENVIRONMENT PROFESSIONALS IN SOUTH-SOUTH NIGERIA

Abstract

The built environment accounts for approximately 37% of global energy-related CO₂ emissions, yet integration of sustainable architectural design strategies (SADS) into professional practice remains critically limited across Sub-Saharan Africa. This deficit is pronounced in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria, characterised by tropical humid climate, oil-driven construction pressures, and fragile ecological systems that amplify the consequences of unsustainable design. Despite growing global urgency, no study has systematically quantified SADS integration across the six-state South-South zone using a multi-professional sample. This study assessed the integration of thirteen SADS among built environment professionals in South-South Nigeria and tested whether statistically significant differences exist across professional groups. A structured questionnaire was administered to 287 built environment professionals, architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, urban planners, and academics across the six states of the South-South zone. Descriptive statistics, the Kruskal-Wallis H test, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with Varimax rotation were employed. Mean integration scores ranged from 2.40 (Biophilic Design) to 3.09 (Embodied Carbon Reduction) on a five-point scale, consistently below the midpoint of 3.50, indicating low to moderate integration. The Kruskal-Wallis test revealed no statistically significant differences across professional groups (H = 36.886, p = .058, α = 0.05), suggesting broadly shared challenges irrespective of professional background. PCA yielded four components: Integrated Building Performance Strategies, Thermal Comfort and Envelope Efficiency, Passive Climatic Responsiveness, and Ecological and Carbon-Conscious Design, explaining 57.795% of total variance. The findings call for evidence-based policy reform, structured continuing professional development programmes, and regionally calibrated sustainable design guidelines for the South-South built environment.