Passive Lighting for Social Rehabilitation in Correctional Architecture Design, Kpopie, Rivers State, Nigeria
AMADI Henry Assobirienwu, AKANI Chizy C. & ABRAHAM Pyamene
Abstract
The architectural design of correctional facilities has traditionally focused on security, surveillance, and containment, often at the expense of environmental quality and human dignity. This security-focused approach has created environments that may increase stress, aggression, and psychological distress among inmates. However, recent research highlights the rehabilitative potential of humane and environmentally conscious design strategies, with indoor environmental quality becoming a key factor in enhancing inmate well-being. Among these strategies, passive lighting, using natural daylight through architectural features, has gained recognition as a valuable but underused tool. Methods such as optimal building orientation, clerestory windows, light wells, courtyards, and reflective interior surfaces can improve visual comfort, support circadian rhythm regulation, and reduce institutional aggression. Drawing on insights from architecture, environmental psychology, and correctional reform, this paper reviews evidence linking daylight exposure to better mood, cognitive function, and sleep quality. It also aligns these benefits with international human rights standards, such as the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Mandela Rules), which promote humane environmental conditions as vital to rehabilitation. Using a comparative case study approach, the analysis examines correctional facilities in temperate and tropical climates, with a particular focus on design challenges and opportunities in low-resource settings like Nigeria. Findings show that passive lighting goes beyond its practical and aesthetic roles, acting as a socially transformative feature that supports rehabilitation, education, and successful reintegration. The study ends with tailored design recommendations for tropical, security-sensitive environments, advocating for daylight-focused architecture as a central element in sustainabl
Keywords
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