ABSTRACT
The study investigated low-income residences in Lugbe and Bwari in Abuja, Nigeria. The principal goals of the study are to evaluate if overheating occurs in the residences, and recommend passive cooling strategies to improve the occupants’ comfort. The findings showed that overheating was reported in all the living areas within the residences. The passive strategies contributed to a decrease in the cooling load as the maximum temperatures stabilised at 28°C for the study period. The research results outline practical implications and applications that can be successfully applied in hot and humid climates. The research revealed that during different periods of occupation, the strategies would improve thermal comfort of occupants. In a heating world, such studies may not only underpin new investment and regulatory pathways to building the thermal resilience of a city in a hot dry climate. They could also provide models for other regions where the climate is becoming hotter and dryer over time. The study highlighted that with the use of the assessed passive cooling strategies, temperatures in dry periods can be lowered to improve thermal comfort, and decrease discomfort, without the use of air-conditioning.
