Factors Affecting Architectural Design for Crime in Nigeria: Role of the Architect
Factors Affecting Architectural Design for Crime in Nigeria: Role of the Architect

Summary/Abstract: It has been acknowledged by researchers and practitioners of crime prevention that design is an important tool that could be used to prevent crime and reduce fear of crime while increasing sense of community. However, the architect faces several challenges in the attempt to address crime prevention issues in his design. This paper assessed the factors that hinder architects in Nigeria from addressing issues of crime prevention holistically in their designs. Survey research method was adopted for the study. 132 questionnaires were administered to architects in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States of Nigeria. 87 properly filled and returned questionnaires were used for the study. Percentages and mean score analysis and ranking method were used as the analysis tools. Interviews were also carried out with key architects with 12 to 37 years of practice experience. The result revealed the major hindrances to architectural design for crime prevention to include lack of documented examples and no crime prevention requirements in planning and building regulations in Nigeria among others. These factors are knowledge related. This suggests that knowledge has a significant and positive effect on architectural design for crime prevention as it helps architects to take good and informed design decisions. It notes that documented examples have three major functions namely, knowledge sharing, knowledge transfer and knowledge preservation. The paper concluded that these factors affect the ability of architects to design against crime because architectural design is knowledge dependent and knowledge driven. It recommended that physical security concepts and crime prevention through environmental design should be made part of formal architectural education raining and/or professional continuing development programme in Nigeria.

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