AN OVERVIEW OF COLLAPSE OF BUILDINGS IN NIGERIA: A MEDICO-SPATIAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

The tripartite quality of buildings that qualify as architectural products has been traditionally held to be serviceability, stability and aesthetics. Unfortunately, the Nigerian built environment has lost the stability component of this trio with attendant socio-economic, political and cultural negative outcomes. This is obvious from the reported cases of building collapses in the country. While the literature is replete with numerous studies on the subject matter, the interaction of this spatial problem with medical practice has been grossly neglected. This review paper presents a medico-spatial dimension of building collapse towards understanding its implications on the medical practice, people and places. Through the aid of literature resources, results show multiple interactions among these key variables. The paper enumerates and argues in favour of holistic solutions and asserts that medical professionals should be co-opted as major stakeholders in the formulation, review and enforcement of the National Building Code in Nigeria and elsewhere.

Keywords

• Architecture
• building collapse
• medical spaces
• professionalism
• structures
• urban places.