SUSTAINABLE DESIGN STRATEGIES AND BUILDING MATERIALS: THE NEXUS

Odom Christopher U,  Nwabuna, Nwokedi .P, Ochea, Ikpa U.

ABSTRACT

Man has always tried to shelter himself from elements of weather, using building materials within his immediate environment. Consequently, houses were built using earth to produce adobe or compressed earth block and bricks for walls. Other materials used for walls as well as roofing materials include woods, bamboo, thatch and straws, anyhow he connects these materials to make comfortable shelter for himself is primarily his design. Research has shown that these local materials are biodegradable and has shown high level of sustainability. The recent trend in building design and the use of building materials shows that there is clear deviation from sustainable design and the use of sustainable materials. The aim of this paper is to establish a relationship between sustainable architectural designs and building a material. The objective is to highlight local building materials in Nigeria which have been found to be sustainable for improved awareness, understanding and practice. Results show that most local building materials are sustainable and should be encourage for use in construction processes. Data sources for this research include, review of related of literature, secondary data sources etc. this paper provides a proposition for professional in the building industry in terms of choice of materials in the face of lingering environmental issues.

Keywords: Sustainable, Design Strategies, Building Materials