EVALUATION OF LANDSCAPE FEATURES FOR STRESS RELIEF IN HOTEL BUILDINGS IN KADUNA, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The fast growing trend of modernization and urbanization in regions around the world has its shares of dire consequences, which includes stress related problems, and have been on rise all over the world. The increasing economic growth and development has led to an intense densification of cities which have in some cases, led to a sparser availability of open spaces. Nevertheless, the need of spaces with restorative potentials is imperative in order to mitigate the stress related problems. Hence, this thesis is aimed at understanding the role of landscape and its qualities in fostering psychological restoration in outdoor environments, with the objectives of identifying those specific landscape elements that promote a restorative environment. The methodology involved interviews and preference study with the use of photo questionnaires. The preference study involved the selection of 40 coloured images inspired by Ulrich and Kaplan’s restoration theory. The images depicted landscape scenes with some elements of the attention restoration and psycho evolutionary theories. The images included variables such as soft landscape, water elements, colours hard landscape and sporting facilities. Scale 1-5 were given to each participants for each images to be rated with 1 and 5 as the lowest and highest preferences respectively. The rating was based on how positively such scenery will affect them. The results were analysed by factoring out the 15 most preferred images as well as the 15 least preferred images while factoring out the common traits in the images in each selected category. The 15 preferred images were because of the high degree of naturalness, denser landscape with beautiful shrubs and trees. There were presence of water bodies and the colours had brighter colours of plant and general physical environment. While the 15 less preferred images were because the images contained lesser quantities of landscape, low percentages vegetative ground cover, stagnant and unclean water, and lighter shades of the colour of grasses and trees. The result from the findings indicates that the existence of aesthetically pleasing bodies of water, artwork (sculptures and statues), and enhanced vegetative cover (trees, shrubs and flowers) foster restorative qualities of such a place. To achieve this, the thesis recommends the adoption of natural features that can be integrated into landscape designs as a key element for stress relief in hotel designs. In conclusion, the knowledge reflected by this thesis can be referred as guidelines by architects, designers, planners and even policy makers to create or transform outdoor spaces into an environment that supports psychological restoration which in both short and long term will benefit public health and overall wellbeing of individuals.