Architects’ Perception of Acid Rain: The Need for Reprioritising Design Values in Studio Pedagogy

One of the major issues that constitute threat to the international peace, security and continued human existence is environmental degradation. Reports are presented annually about the increasing depletion and pollution of the natural environment by virtually all forms of developmental activities. Among the preponderant negative consequences of these activities is the issue of acid rain deposition, flooding and overheating. While literature is replete with the challenges some of these phenomena pose to architects, little or no attention has been given to the issue of acid rain which has been found to have deleterious effects on buildings. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to determine the level of awareness, perception and responses of architect to this challenge, using Lagos Metropolis as an empirical focus. Data were obtained through structured questionnaire administered on 157 randomly selected practicing architects in Lagos, Nigeria. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. The results were further subjected to Linear Regression Analysis. The findings revealed high level of awareness of acid rain among the architects who also feel concerned about phenomenon. Their response to the adaptation and mitigation of the phenomenon was however, very low. The paper establishes architectural design values as one of the major contributors to this behaviour. It concludes by suggesting the need to update architectural education and theories to include climate responsive pedagogies in the learning process.