BIOMIMICRY FOR ENHANCING PASSIVE COOLING IN THE DESIGN OF MILLENIUM CITY HOTEL, KADUNA
BIOMIMICRY FOR ENHANCING PASSIVE COOLING IN THE DESIGN OF MILLENIUM CITY HOTEL, KADUNA
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Date
2018-06
Authors
EWA, Mabel
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Abstract
The need for sustainable design in the tourism industry arises due to its significant
contribution to energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission which has tremendous
impact on the environment. Environmental designers look to new approaches like
biomimicry to advance a sustainable design future. Biomimicry is the emulation of nature
in its many forms, systems and processes to solve the most pressing challenges faced by
our world today. The aim of the research is to develop a theoretical solution as well as
design solutions for sustainable and energy efficient hotels in hot-dry climate. In
understanding the concept of biomimicry in architecture, this thesis reinterprets several
environmental designs and case studies from the perspective of human and environmental
wholeness.. The cactus plant is known as a self-cooling plant due to its anatomical and
physiological features that helps it to survive in hot dry climates. This research looks out to
applying the characteristics of a cactus plant to profer solutions to energy efficiency.Three
hotels were used as case studies, these includes; Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja; Sheraton
Hotel, Abuja and Le Meridien Ibom Hotel, Akwa Ibom. These case studies were analysed
with respect to the benefits derived from the application of natural strategies such as the
harvesting of renewable energy for power generation, water management and bio-inspired
filtration methods and the efficient use of materials in adaptation to changing conditions in
the environment to inspire building envelope. The study and selection of these architectural
examples showed that the principles of biomimicry were underutilized in the hotels studied
compared to foreign cases studied in the literature where they had more promiment
biomimicry features in their buildings with the same aim of achieving passive cooling. The
research found that incorporating biomimicry approaches helps in resolving the problems
associated with passive cooling in hot dry climate and create a viable tourism development
in Nigeria. This thesis addresses the importance of biomimicry principles to hotel design and provides a template by incorporating these principles in various ways for professionals
and organizations involved in hotel design in Nigeria.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POST GRADUATE STUDIES,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA.
IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD
OF A
DEGREE OF MASTERS OF SCIENCE IN ARCHITECTURE
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE,
FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY,
ZARIA, NIGERIA.
Keywords
BIOMIMICRY,, ENHANCING PASSIVE COOLING,, DESIGN,, MILLENIUM CITY HOTEL,, KADUNA,