Abstract
Climate change presents an escalating challenge to the sustainability and resilience of built environments, particularly in geographies characterized by climatic and topographical vulnerabilities. This study investigates the geographic influence on architectural adaptation to climate change across three ecologically distinct regions of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria the Ibeno shoreline, river-flooded inland towns, and an inland courtyard-based village. The objective is to understand how spatial geography, environmental pressures, and cultural practices shape architectural responses to climate stressors such as flooding, sea-level rise, erosion, and extreme heat. A mixed-method approach combining field surveys, climate data analysis, semi-structured interviews, and building performance assessments was employed. Case studies were purposively selected to represent the diversity of Akwa Ibom’s geographic zones. Findings reveal that architectural forms, materials, and spatial configurations are profoundly influenced by local environmental realities: coastal settlements employ stilted structures, lightweight renewable materials, and elevated platforms as flood resilience measures; riverine towns integrate adaptive wateredge settlements and bamboo-reinforced foundations; while inland courtyard-based compounds optimize natural ventilation, shading, and thermal comfort through indigenous passive design strategies. Results further demonstrate that communities’ traditional ecological knowledge provides a valuable foundation for sustainable climate-adaptive architecture. However, modernization trends and inadequate policy integration threaten these context-responsive strategies. The study recommends a hybrid model of architectural adaptation that blends local building wisdom with contemporary sustainable design principles such as passive cooling systems, rainwater harvesting, and resilient urban planning to enhance community resilience. The research concludes that understanding the geographic determinants of architecture is crucial for developing regionally adaptive building policies in Akwa Ibom State and similar tropical regions. It proposes a framework for climate-adaptive design and policy formulation that emphasizes local participation, ecological compatibility, and performance-based sustainability standards.