Proposed Recreational Park

Project and Seminar Material for Architecture

Abstract

Mans activities are affected in several ways by the immediate environment he lives in and what condition he found himself. Any activity that gives pleasures and is engaged in form of choice and not from necessity can be considered recreation”. Park and recreation, the benefit is endless”. If man spends his time wisely, he can greatly enrich his life. His recreation can help to discovered new talents and to improve himself physically mentally and psychologically. This research is carried out to study what a recreation park is, their classifications and standards. Then the use of landscape to enhance the recreational revisions. Therefore keffi being a study area with recreational facilities will be a place for the projected recreation parks.

Chapter One

1.0 Introduction

Recreation is an activity that people voluntarily pursue for personal enjoyment or satisfaction, usually during their free time. Recreation takes variety of forms and occurs in places, depending on the choice of the individual. Some recreations are passive, such engage on recreation in their homes or communities or they may travel along distance for a recreation activity.

Since the end of World War II in 1945, recreation has become an important element in modern life. High incomes and improvement in working conditions and transportation have given many people more money, time and mobility for recreation. Today, recreation is a major industry.

Recreation provides pleasures for millions of people but it may also make an important contribution to an individual mental and physical health. For example, a hospital often organizes recreational activities under trained supervisors as therapy for patients.

Therefore, this project report will examine in a broad overview of the social and planning philosophers that lie behind the location, programming and operation of the future of recreation. It is proposed to bring out visually and verbally the most creation new idea and speculative on what potentials these may hold for the future, taking into consideration the desire of children, adults and the community at large. (The world book encyclopedia.)

1.1 Motivation

A country with a high standard of living is bound to have a high participation in recreational park. The high standard of living referred to their centers on high disposable income, which is also accompanied by reduction in working hours and long leisure time.

These have to be money to spent, as well as the referee time to spend it. Some geographical and social factor previously discussed, on the introductory page.

This is one of the things been looked at to create an environment at Keffis, which will serve as a conducive atmosphere for the project and also to serve as a short time visit to the recreational area for the purpose of recreational education and business. It will therefore, include visitors, seminars, conventions etc. this will be phased out in stage of development for the smooth emerged of facilities, which are relevant and marketable at the time of implementation.

1.2 Background of Study

Keffi as local government area in Nasarawa state, north central Nigeria. It was founded in the year 1800 by Abdul Zanga (Abdullah), a Fulani warrior from the North who made it the seat of a Vassal emirate subject to the Emir of Zaria.

(A town 153miles (246km) North). Although keffi paid tribute to Zaria throughout the 19th century, it was constantly raided for slaves; its war in the reign of Sidi Umaru, with the nearby town of Nasarawa resulted in a further payment of slaves to Zaria.

In 1902 the British transferred the headquarters of Nasarawa province to Keffi to protect the trade caravans going to the North from Benue River. The killing of British administrator in keffi by the Zaria Magaji (representative), who subsequently fled to Kano (220miles (350km) north-north west), the most powerful of the Fulani emirates, led to the British attack on and defeat of Kano in 1903. The people of keffi have settled in this area for over 250 years ago before the creation of the present Nasarawa state.

Most of the inhabitants of the traditional emirates are gwandara people, engaged in tin and columbite mining and in farming. Keffi has a teacher training college, hospital and the state university.

The keffi area is blessed with hills, good land for agriculture and also plain land for infrastructural development.

The keffi area falls to the zone of the west-Africa sub-region patches of rain forest, occurs in the plains, especially gilled train to the south and the rugged. South eastern parts of the area. The area also forms on of the surviving occurrence of matured forest vegetation in Nasarawa state. The raining season starts in April and ends in October in Nasarawa and keffi been a local government area in the state is not an exception of these characteristics features. The temperature reaches 280 (8.2.40F) to 300C (86.0F) and night times low lower to around 22c (71.6F) high as 40c (104.F) and night time temperature dip to 12c (53.6F).

The timing zone is at (UTCTI). The latitude is at 8.84710 N and longitude 7.87760 E.

But presently, the occupants presently are not all indigenes because when the state was created the government, the first democratically elected governor, Abdullahi Adamu built the current state university which attracted several people from other part of the zone like kogi,Plateau,FCT,Niger etc. to settle in the state there by bringing meaningful development to the area.

The urbanization in the area started with the advent of colonial administration. The area was headed by provincial and native Authority and is one of the province and division which gave rise to the beginning of most of what we know today as urban centres in the state and is the biggest urban centres in the state after the state capital lafia.

1.3 Aim

The aim of this project is to provide a befitting and an esthetical, pleasing, edifice, which will serve the community for the increasing need for leisure. This aim will be achieve through the use of some organic like rock, river, trees etc.

1.4 Objectives

The objectives of this project include the:-

To utilize the natural environment, traditional and modern materials in order to achieve harmony between the building and environment.
To develop recreational park as a means of communication with people of different social groups of varying cultural orientation.
To stimulate awareness for other tourist attraction that are abound in the country, through the creation of parks and recreation and other leisure activities.
To provide adequate facilities like indoor sporting hall, boat ride, children playing ground, sporting ground etc. For recreational that will accommodate all the categories of people in Abuja and its environs.
To increase environmental well-being and leisure pursuits through the use of some activities like the arcade games, swimming, playing golf etc.

1.5 Statement of Problems

As a result of the struggle of human day in day our for survival, the rate at which people in Abuja and its neighboring environment engages themselves to work either as a student, self-employed, public or private sector servant overtime with little or no time for recreational activities.

To this end, the government of Federal Capital Territory Abuja has put in place some organ to help in the growth of recreational activities in Abuja. The most popular among all the recreation activities is a recreational park. This is because low capital is needed to start the project and also due to the availabilities of some natural or organic elements like water. Many recreational places exist and it is mainly for individuals or private sector.

1.6 Justification

The design architecturally can never be emerged as it to broaden our knowledge and scope of understanding in the profession. Each design in architecture is authorized to its uniqueness in concept, functionalities. Economically is to provide employment opportunity for a good number of people that will work there, so also source of revenue.

The park in terms of social culturally, will serve as a place for infraction, religious, cultural activities as well as reaction for the people of Abuja and its environs.

1.7 Research Methodology

Direct interviews with organization, recreational applied professionals in the field.

Visitation of some facilities (case study).

Internet consultants (foreign case study).

Literature review of other works. Example of this includes publication extract, texts books, magazines, newspaper, journals, encyclopedia, consultation of maps and questionnaire’s.

Visit to the proposed site.

1.8 Scope and Limitation of Study

The scope of this project is limited to providing basic facilities for the general welfare of the recreational park on the site which include:-

Administrative block
Indoor Game
Club House
Ticketing / clinic
Canteen
Out Door game
Relaxation Area
Children play Area/Arena
Swimming
Masque Centre
Hotel
Zoom

1.9 Limitation and Constraint

There are some factors that hampered the extension of this project work. In the process of gathering the information, I encountered some problems which include the following:-

The project work is constraint to design scope listed above.

The project work requires sufficient time and since this is lacking, it has serve as limitation to the research work.
Most of the respondents were not willing to provide information.

In Nigeria most information were kept secret. This was a major constraint for data collection by me notwithstanding the white exercise has been very stimulated in identification of customer needs and seeking to satisfy ones need.

1.10 Definition of Terms

Cable:

A set of wires covered with plastic or rubber that carries electricity, telephone signal e.g. underground cables, fiber optic cable.

Fence:

A barrier or screen used for dividing or enclosing an area of land.

Flower:

The seed bearing parts of a plant consisting of reproductive organs (stamens and carpals) that are typically surrounded by a brightly colored corolla (petals and a green calyx (sepals).

Gate:

A hinged barrier, door or hatch in a wall or fence which can be opened to allow thorough fare.

Gate house:

A security building or construction at the entrance of a castle, building etc. to country entry and exit.

Ground cover:

The term ground cover is applied to small plants less than 45mm tall, which cover the ground in place of turf.

Hedges:

Is an intermediate planting between the trees and flowers. They are generally smaller in size that trees. They can be used as a wall element in an outdoor area.

Lawn:

In landscaping, an area of grass.

Pavement:

The main structural and surface construction, of a road laid in conclusion of concrete, stoner asphalt above a sub-grade.

Palm Tree:

A palm is a tree having a straight and single trunk or slightly curved bud, a few grow in dumps.

A Stream:

A small narrow river (flowing in a continuous current in a specified direction.

A Security Tower:

Is a building or construction above either structure in an area where security gadgets are mounted or other related security system.

Shrubs:

Is a woody plant smaller that a tree with several main stems arising at or near the ground.

Trees:

A woody parental plant, typically having a single trunk growing to a considerable height and bearing lateral branches at same distance from the ground.

Chapter Five

Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations:

5.1 Introduction

This chapter summarizes the findings into the study of what a recreation park is, their classifications and standards andthe use of landscape to enhance the recreational revisions, with Keffi as a study area. Respondents for this study were obtained from the staff of Lagos State Land Bureau. The chapter consists of summary of the study, conclusions, and recommendations.

5.2 Summary of the Study

In this research, our focus was on studying what a recreation park is, their classifications and standards and the use of landscape to enhance the recreational revisions, with Keffi as a study area.

The study specifically was aimed at utilizing the natural environment, traditional and modern materials in order to achieve harmony between the building and environment, developing recreational park as a means of communication with people of different social groups of varying cultural orientation, stimulating awareness for other tourist attraction that are abound in the country, through the creation of parks and recreation and other leisure activities and providing adequate facilities like indoor sporting hall, boat ride, children playing ground, sporting ground etc. For recreational that will accommodate all the categories of people in Keffi and its environs. And lastly increasing environmental well-being and leisure pursuits through the use of some activities like the arcade games, swimming, playing golf etc.

The study adopted the survey research design and randomly enrolled participants in the study. A total of 50 responses were validated from the enrolled participants where all respondent are activestaff of selected Architectural Firms In Abuja, Nigeria.

5.3 Conclusions

Leisure time can be used for recreation ass it restores a person’s vitality, initiatives and perspective of life, thereby preparing him to return to his work. Most people today not only hope for recreation, but also demand it as a part of their life style and expect to get the best quality.

With the number of available natural sites and tourism potentials in the country, it will amount to sheer idiocy to wring our hands helplessly and lament the poor state of tourism in the country.

Nigeria stands a chance of benefiting immensely from a well-developed tourist industry. Given this scenario where demand is rapidly rising and supply remains virtually static, the duty of the architect is to plan the tourism resources such that a balance is maintained between conservation on one hand and satisfaction of the growing demand on the other hand.

Perhaps, the most popular discipline linking sustainability of the environment with the growing interest of mankind is landscape design. Proper landscaping, therefore, remains the best method of maintaining the balance between the conservation of the environment and this interest.

Having successfully carried out the study and analyzed the findings from the questionnaires distributed on what a recreation park is, their classifications and standards and the use of landscape to enhance the recreational revisions, the researcher made the following conclusion;

The development of Keffi’s natural environment for leisure will positively affect the tourism development of the area.
The adequate use of Keffi’s natural environment will have a rapid development and economic impact on the community.
There is a need to utilize the natural environment of Keffi for tourism development.
The traditional and modern materials in Keffi can be used to achieve harmony between buildings and the environment.
The development of a recreational park in Keffi will serve as a means of communication with people of different social groups of varying cultural orientation.
The natural environment, traditional and modern materials of Keffi will contribute to providing a befitting, esthetical, and pleasing edifice which will serve the community for the increasing need for leisure.
The adequate provision of a sports hall, boat ride, children’s playing ground, and sports grounds for recreation will accommodate all the categories of people in Keffi and its environs.
The use of some activities like arcade games, swimming, and playing golf will increase environmental well-being and leisure pursuits in Keffi.
A well-landscaped recreation environment will enhance the tourism development of Keffi.
The provision of adequate facilities such as services and information centers, golf clubhouses, golf courses, shops, allied sporting activities and miscellaneous with the detailed landscaping of the center as a key design determinant will result in the massive tourism development of Keffi.

5.3 Recommendations

Based on the responses obtained, the researcher recommended that;

More awareness of the game of golf should be created and it should be introduced in the sports programme of both secondary and tertiary institutions.
Local, state and federal governments should demarcate potential tourism zones in their locality.
Government should treat tourism sincerely as a preferred sector, and as such potential investors should enjoy incentives such as tax holidays, tax rebate and soft loans with long period of moratorium.
A local government tourism committee should be formed and the services of experts should be engaged to locate and identify potential tourist attractions and how to translate such potentials into reality