BIOPHILIC DESIGN OF A MIXED-USE HIGH-RISE BUILDING IN VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS

Through the years, it has been discovered that human beings have a natural urge to be affiliated with their natural environment. This inclination was termed ‘biophilia’. The value of being in touch with nature has been recognized and proven, leading to increased attempts to incorporate nature-related features into the built environment. Considering this, the aim of this study was to investigate biophilic design strategies and quality of life, with a view to creating a design proposal for a mixed-use high-rise building in the city of Lagos designed to enhance the quality of life of its occupants. For the methodology, a mixed approach was adopted whereby quantitative data was gathered via a structured questionnaire and qualitative data was gathered via careful observations and evaluation of selected case studies. The results of the study showed that the indigenous case studies adopted biophilic design strategies to a good extent and the most adopted strategies were highlighted. It also revealed that biophilic design strategies had a net positive impact on the users’ quality of life as confirmed both by the researcher and by the respondents themselves. Finally, in lieu of all the findings, a design proposal was submitted for a high-rise mixed-use building that incorporates biophilic design strategies to enhance the quality of life of its users