Exploring the Application of Green Design Strategies in Selected Shopping Malls in Southwest Nigeria

Abstract

Green design is a design strategy that incorporates environmental consciousness into architecture. The research aimed at investigating the application of green design strategies in shopping malls in Southwest, Nigeria in order to understand how these strategies can be applied in the design of shopping malls. The study is limited to selected shopping malls in Southwest Nigeria. The study utilized a qualitative research methodology due to its appropriateness and subsequently incorporated it into the research approach. The purposive sampling technique was used for this study. The shopping malls that were built within the last 10 years are believed to have incorporated green building strategies as a result of the establishment of Green Building Council (GBC). Three shopping malls were randomly selected in Ogun and Lagos state. The study reveals that not all the green design strategies as indicated in the observation guide were considered in the design of the selected shopping malls. The study recommended that green design strategies such as provision of adequate vegetation on the site, and use of renewable energy strategies should be addressed throughout the design and planning stages of the shopping malls.