Bioclimatic Approach for Climate Classification of Nigeria

Abstract

One of the fundamental determinants of buildings is the protection of the people who live and work within them from a harsh climate, but a lot of buildings in Nigeria are no longer providing the required comfort needed. The gas emissions through the use of mechanical equipment and lack of energy efficiency in buildings are the major causes of climate change. The way architecture responds to climate change is important. Thus, this research attempted, by using the new bioclimatic chart, to prepare the new climate classification of Nigeria. The research was aimed at establishing a bioclimatically based approach for architecture in Nigeria. By retrieving the climatic data from thirty-six Nigerian meteorological stations about characteristics of each region, bioclimatic analysis was achieved. According to the bioclimatic analysis of this research, Nigeria can be divided into five different climatic regions, such as hot-dry, hot-humid, temperate-dry, temperate-humid, and temperate-dry with a cool climate. We aimed to prove that the climate classification gives the proper answer, dependent upon the vernacular architecture analyzed on Nigeria.