USING ARCHITECTURAL LANDSCAPE TO ENHANCE USERS’ ACTIVITIES: A PROPOSED GOLF CLUB FOR AWKA, ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

Rapid urbanization in Awka, Anambra State, has intensified environmental degradation and reduced the ecological quality of urban open spaces, creating a need for recreational landscapes that respond simultaneously to environmental, social, and cultural conditions. This study examines how architectural landscape strategies can enhance user activities and environmental performance within a proposed golf club in Awka. The study adopted a qualitative Research Through Designing (RTD) approach, combining literature synthesis, comparative analysis of selected golf facilities, environmental and spatial assessment, and thematic interpretation of architectural and landscape precedents. The analysis focused on the relationships among topography, vegetation, hydrology, microclimate, user experience, and indigenous spatial principles. Evidence synthesized from the reviewed literature and case studies informed a three-pillar Hybrid Open Space (HOS) framework comprising Ecological, user-centric, and Cultural/Aesthetic pillars. The Ecological Pillar integrates Nature-Based Solutions, native reforestation, erosion-control measures, and climate-responsive landscape strategies; the User-Centric Pillar incorporates Active Design, accessibility, multigenerational programming, and restorative landscape elements; while the Cultural/Aesthetic Pillar translates Igbo spatial concepts, particularly the Obi–Ilo relationship, into contemporary recreational architecture. The study demonstrates that integrating ecological processes, human-centred landscape design, and indigenous spatial knowledge can provide a context-responsive approach to golf-club development in rapidly urbanizing environments. It concludes that golf facilities can function beyond conventional recreational purposes by contributing to ecological resilience, user engagement, and cultural identity when designed as multifunctional landscape infrastructures.