Abstract:
The purpose of any library is to collect; preserve and make accessible recorded
information and knowledge in retrievable forms. The need to make the library building
comfortable Ior its users is germane to the proper functioning of the library. The comforts
required by the users of library include, but not limited to, visual comfort, acoustic quality,
thermal comfort etc.
Visual Comfort includes two basic concepts; visual interest and visual relief. Visual
interest is required when spending a long time in the same place. It is important to have
something to gaze at, or to let the eyes wander over while contemplating or meditating in library. Visual relief is important to avoid distracting or disturbing elements, such as glare or sudden drastic changes in the visual field. Reading also requires the opportunity to relax the eyes by gazing at far away objects.
The proper sitting adequate planning and pragmatic design to suit the comfortable needs
and requirements of library users are essential to library design. Visual comfort through adequate lighting and proper planning should therefore be given major consideration in the library building. They influence many imperative factors ranging from users comfort and staff productivity to perception and connotation of spaces. The fact that this basic need of library users has received less attention from both the architects and other consultants lead to the choice of the thesis. Hence, it seeks to identify and articulate the potentials or site selection and architectural forms that can enhance visual comfort.
Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin was established as far back as 1973 and up till now is yet
to have a befitting purposely built library that can meet the growing population of the school and satisfy the users comfort needs. Therefore, the Polytechnic was chosen to host the proposed design. The thesis identify visual comfort through adequate lighting and proper planning as essential need of library users while the proposed design should be flexible modular building which can cope with the rapid changes in library design due to the forms in which information is recorded and the technological development in both architecture and librarianship
