Sustainable campus design in Baghdad University, Iraq

Abstract

This study is a fundamental research that deals with the relationship between physical character and sustainability of university campuses in Iraq. There is an absence of a clear and substantive understanding of the role of physical character in supporting sustainability of the campuses. Besides, these university campuses are suffering from problems in their physical settings that have led to weakness in sustainability issues. This study is to establish how physical character affects sustainability issues in university campuses, where the main campus of Baghdad University was selected as a case study for this research. A mix of quantitative and qualitative methods was adopted to conduct this study. While questionnaire survey technique was utilized to collect data quantitatively, observation survey and in-depth interview survey were used to support or explain the findings. Quantitative data were analyzed using statistical frequencies, chi-square and logistic regression. Content analysis was employed to analyze qualitative data. Triangulation was used in the analysis in order to achieve reliable and valid conclusions. Through this method, a cross verification for the findings was possible by the combination of data sources such as statistical data, observations, interviews, theories and secondary data. The physical character was researched through three main components, namely layout and transport, landscape and buildings, which were analyzed to answer sustainability factors or objectives. Several key aspects such as layout and transportation features including distance between campus areas, massing, grouping of buildings, through traffic, permeability and location of bus stop were found to have impact on sustainability such as walkability, car reliance and social interaction. Landscape elements which included trees, awnings, seating, outdoor cafés and sculptures, in addition to their design characteristics were the major features found to have impact on campus sustainability, which were related to comfort, attractiveness and legibility. For buildings, the findings differentiated some key features that were important to the sustainable qualities such as architectural style, building height, building configuration, materials and building orientation that were found to affect environmental response, local identity, legibility and diversity. The study shows that physical characteristics are important in sustaining Iraqi campuses environmentally, socially and economically. Local attributes such as climate, culture and the preferences of local community have had a role in determining the key findings of this study.