User Satisfaction with Architectural Design of Spaces in Residential Buildings: Insights from Low-Cost Housing in Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

User satisfaction with residential houses generally is tied to many variables, but this research aims at examining user satisfaction with architectural designed spaces of residential buildings using insights from Plateau State Low-cost housing. The designed spaces of low-cost houses constitute verandah, living room, dining, kitchen, store, bedroom, toilet/ bathroom courtyard and external spaces for parking and outdoor activities. Physical observation of low-cost houses in Plateau State, today reveals high post construction modification and alteration. These alterations have altered the initially designed spaces, appearance of the cities in the study areas, thereby manipulating the harmony of people‟s built environment. The alteration made to these low-cost building signals that either the design spaces did not meet the need of the user or methods applied in the provision of the building units do not often meet the needs and aspiration of the users. In order to achieve the aim of the research, the objectives of this research are to identify the composition of architectural designed spaces and the location of the State low-cost houses in Plateau, to assess the sizes of existing internal and external spaces of selected Low-cost houses in Plateau State in relation to set standards, to identify the functionality of the original designed spaces and the altered spaces of the State Low-cost housing by the users, to determine the demographic characteristics of the inhabitants of the low-cost houses in Plateau State and to determine user satisfaction with the original architectural designed spaces of selected State Low-Cost housing in Plateau State. For the purpose of this research, the low-cost housing in Plateau State was zoned into the three geo-political zones of the state: the Northern zone, Central zone and the Southern zone. This research basically studied the architectural designed spaces of the Low-cost houses in Plateau State, with focus on the alterations made to the designed spaces, the physical measurement of the spaces in relation to set standards, the functionality of the spaces provided and the satisfaction level of the users with the designed spaces. A comprehensive review of literature in local and international conditions on Low-cost houses with similar experience was conducted. Also hypothesis test on relationship between functionality of spaces and users satisfaction with designed spaces reveals that there is significant relationship between functionality of spaces and user‟s satisfaction. The descriptive research methodology was adopted to characterize the data on alterations. The data was analysed using SPSS Statistics version 21, where P-value approach, short for probability was utilized in testing the hypotheses and answering some research questions simultaneously. On the basis of making scientific decision, 0.05 was used as a level of significance. The null hypothesis was rejected when the p-value is less than the level of significance (0.05) and accepted when it becomes greater than the level of significance. Also, quantitative and qualitative research techniques were adopted to handle the data on user satisfaction that were largely nominal. Inferential analytical techniques of correlation and regression were employed to test four hypotheses on relationship between satisfaction levels of respondents with the designed housing. Findings revealed that there was significant relationship between personal characteristic of respondents and the overall housing satisfaction; it also reveals that there was significant relationship between size of bedrooms and no of bedrooms. The relationship between user‟s satisfaction and the alteration made to buildings was revealed to be statistically insignificant. Chapter five presents discussion while chapter six presents recommendations, limitations, and suggestions for further study and contribution to knowledge. It is believed that when designing with understanding of how and why these alterations became necessary, it would be easier to take care of that need so that future changes will be minimized, and successful design that meets the needs and aspiration of the people will be achieved. This research will serve as future references in design of residential spaces and guide to professionals in architecture and the building industry.