Abstract:
The quality of architectural practices in Nigeria with regards to the use
of plants for landscape in market buildings is not satisfactory when it is compared with
international standards and this is a problem. To reduce this problem, a market in Garki
in Abuja was studied with the aim of assessing the effects of plants in its environs, in
order to generate guidelines from the research feedbacks to improve architectural
practices with regards to the use of plants in the design of Nigerian markets. There are
seven regional built-up markets under the control of Federal Capital Territory Markets
Management Committee. Out of these markets, a market in Garki was studied via
purposive sampling method. The instruments used for the collection of the primary data
are questionnaires, focus group discussion and observation schedule. The secondary
data were obtained from the review of relevant literature. Among the research findings
are: most of the market buildings have no plants for landscape architecture; the use of
personal electric power generators for artificial cooling and ventilation due to
inadequate circulation of fresh air from plantsin and around the market buildings causes
fire outbreaks in the market. Among the generated guidelines are: it must be ensured by
the Architects that all the market buildings should have plants for landscape architecture
at the design stage; however, markets must have general electricity generator houses to
minimise the use of personal electric power generators, in order to stop fire outbreaks
as a result of their uses for artificial cooling and ventilation.
