ASSESSMENT OF RESIDENTS’ PERCEPTION AND PREFERENCES FOR SMART BUILDING FEATURES IN BENIN CITY, EDO STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This research investigates the awareness, preferences, factors influencing residents' preferences for smart building features, and the perceived risk and benefits associated with smart building features. The study examines the perception and preferences of residents towards smart building features in government reserved area, Benin city with a view to determining the extent of the level of residents understanding and choices. This research adopts the research survey design using a questionnaire as the means of primary data collection. A questionnaire survey of 96 was administered to residents in the study area, this was analyzed using descriptive statistics. These finding reveals that half of the respondents were un-aware of some smart building features. The results also indicated that internet facility ranked highest as the medium of awareness for the residents who were aware of smart building features. It was revealed that smart building features that was preferred ranked 1-5 had the highest mean score average and from 6-13 had the lowest with a score average below 2.50. Features relating to smart home appliances, “security and safety” (CCTV, panic alarm button) while those relating to building maintenance (water usage monitoring and leak detection system) were the least category of smart features preferred.