EVALUATION OF DESIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR PROSPECTIVE LUXURY HOMEOWNERS IN KANO STATE, NIGERIA.

Abstract

The features that surrounds a location often characterize a luxury home, be it natural or manmade facilities ranging from rock view, mountain side, water front, parks golf course, school districts or downtown districts. Other classification criteria include customization levels, historical or architectural importance and also absence of crime, commercialization and industrialization. However the design requirements for these facilities vary according to the location of the region and the need of the final user. The basic design consideration for luxury homes has been space, materials and aesthetic; much attention has not been paid to user’s requirement, this has led to continuous post-constructional transformation of these buildings. This paper evaluates the design requirements for prospective luxury homeowners in Kano State, Nigeria through identification and analysis of their requirements and variations. This study is also part of a user participatory research carried out in housing customization and data was collected from the aforementioned study area through administering questionnaire and this collected data was analyzed using SPSS and MSExcel. The results are presented in tables and charts. The paper will conclude by showing the design requirements of prospective house owners in luxury homes that will enhance user participation in luxury home designs. Recommendations are made for architects to embark on user survey before design so that the final homeowners can adhere to design decisions taken by the architect.