Abstract

The quality and sustainability value of intervention buildings by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund)
has been of concerns because of the impact buildings can have on the academic environment and the quality of
education. It is thus paramount to constantly check and update the quality of our academic environment by
ensuring delivery of sustainable buildings and structures that would have economic, environmental and sociocultural benefits. This study aimed at assessing the influence of Design Quality Indicators (DQI) on the quality of
academic spaces. The study applied the United Kingdom Construction Industry Council’s (UK-CIC) Design Quality
Indicators (DQI) on deliberately selected academic-oriented buildings in Nigerian higher institutions. It explored the
proportionate stratified random sampling in choosing two buildings from two different campuses out of four in
Kaduna Polytechnic. Data collection involved literature reviews, visual surveys, participant observation and
interviews. Analysis incorporated both quantitative and qualitative methods, utilizing the Statistical Package for
Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19.0 and Microsoft Excel to extrapolate DQI variables identified in the reviewed
literature. Findings indicated DQI has commendable reputation that strongly influenced TETFund intervention building
sustainable performance as perceived by users. The study concludes that application of DQI enhances design
quality, provides benchmark for building quality and supports user’s sustainability desire. Consequently, the study
recommends a continuous review of the quality, performance management, and monitoring processes, employing
the content of the UK-CIC developed DQI by architects and other stakeholders in the building industry.