Architects advocate use of local materials

The communiqué issued at the end of the meeting called on architects to consider sustainability because it has great influence on environment.“Architects should go beyond doing beautiful designs, they should go ahead to tackle challenges – the red cities must be turned green. We have to return to rural architecture because the villages are green […]

The communiqué issued at the end of the meeting called on architects to consider sustainability because it has great influence on environment.
“Architects should go beyond doing beautiful designs, they should go ahead to tackle challenges – the red cities must be turned green. We have to return to rural architecture because the villages are green but the cities are red,” the colloquium advised.
It spelt out simple principles of sustainable building design which must not be over looked: site optimization, location, orientation, security and energy use.
The architects observed that where building materials are sourced more than 500 kilometers away, there cannot be sustainability.
It was advised that while designing, the architect should not forget that there is hardly electricity in Nigeria and that temperatures are always high. Natural illumination and ventilation should therefore be considered.
The architects demanded that they be included among town planners in matters of town planning.
They demanded registration of houses so when houses are built for the low income earners, they get to them.
Theme of Architects Colloquium 2015 was Architecture and the National Development Agenda viii: Sustainable Architectural Education and Practice in the 21st Century.