Spatial and Security Organisation of Court Buildings: An Assessment of Selected High Court Buildings in Nigeria

Abstract

Within the context of functional efficiency, this study assesses the spatial organisation and security of court building in Southwest Nigeria as a panacea to a design proposal for an ideal high court building. To achieve this, fifteen structural parameters were employed for measuring efficiency. These are spaces organisation, spaces standard, structural fitness, communication, noise, environmental cleanliness, building layout, privacy, visual form, security, parking spaces, acoustics system, circulation pattern and spaces allocation. Towards the realisation of these objectives, both primary and secondary data were collected. The primary data employed include field measurement, personal observation of court proceedings, oral interview and administration of 290 questionnaires to court personnel, and other court participants to elicit information on the effects of adequate security and spatial organisation. The merits and demerits of the studied area along with their photographs were also documented. The information from the questionnaires was analysed using frequency distribution tables, simple percentages and relative important index. Results revealed that the court buildings were largely inadequate to space organisation and space standard. The result shows that 90% of the respondents agreed that poor spatial organisation, inadequate security, and poor landscaping are the major shortcomings inhibiting the efficiency of court buildings, while 80% agreed that the existing structures are satisfactory only in the areas of environmental cleanliness and communication within the courtrooms. Hence, the study presented useful suggestions and recommendations.