This paper focuses on how climate changes, resource depletion, and rapid urbanization issues can be reduced through sustainable architectural practices, this concept which integrates ecological principals with architectural design to create an energy efficient and friendly environment for the building users. This concept also focuses on optimizing natural resources and building materials sourced within and at the same time reducing waste. The study aims at exploring the principles, challenges and opportunities in the practice of sustainable architecture in Nigeria, with the view to evaluate the sustainability trend in the Nigerian construction industry. The study looked into some of the existing and flourishing sustainable designs within Nigeria, which notably amongst them is the Makoko floating school in Lagos, which despite all odds is still serving as a proper school with its construction based on locally sourced material and also mainly powered by solar. The study employed the qualitative method of research in carrying out cases studies on some of the notable sustainable construction around, the case study served as the primary source of data, while the secondary source of data was from published literature. The study found that sustainable architecture is actually viable in Nigeria, but also found that the use and implementation of renewable energy in most houses in Nigeria is still very low, mostly due to cost. Water conservation and treatment was noted to be on the increase, and also noted that generally there is still little awareness on the importance of sustainable practices amongst not just architects but all construction stakeholders. The study therefore recommended that the government should take an upper hand in driving policies that will actually ensure that sustainable strategies are adopted and implemented in the design and construction of houses in the country.
Achara et al. (Wed,) studied this question.