Comparative Analysis of Shading Strategies for Energy Efficiency in the Design of a Premium Hospitality Facility in Abuja

Abstract

Five-star hotels in tropical climates are highly energy-intensive due to heavy cooling loads from solar heat gain through glazed envelopes. This study investigates shading strategies to enhance energy efficiency for a proposed five-star hotel in Abuja, Nigeria, using a mixed methods approach combining a survey of 43 building professionals with case studies of three local luxury hotels. Findings reveal high awareness of strategies like brise-soleil (Mean = 3.90) and deep overhangs (Mean = 3.88), yet actual integration remains significantly lower. Key barriers to implementation include regulatory gaps (Mean = 4.62), high initial costs (Mean = 4.37), and expertise shortages (Mean = 4.32), despite strong drivers like daylighting synergy and climate responsiveness (Mean = 4.97). Case studies confirmed that older hotels with deep balconies offer effective passive shading, whereas modern curtain-wall structures suffer from shading neglect. To bridge this gap, the study proposes an architectural design featuring orientation-specific structural envelope features: horizontal brise-soleil and balconies on north/south facades alongside vertical fins on east/west facades. Ultimately, the research demonstrates that adoption is limited by missing enforcement rather than a lack of awareness, recommending mandatory passive-shading standards in Nigeria's building energy efficiency codes.