The shift from traditional design practices to sustainable design practices, the challenges of climate change and the global concern for the sustainability of the built environment motivate this study. The focus for this paper is to encourage sustainable conscious design by architects in Nigeria, through the use of a design guide. The survey was carried out to provide insights into the design practices and the perceptions of these professionals in regards to their roles to provide sustainable buildings and their willingness to use design guide in order to improve their design output. Findings suggest that on one hand, there is a low level (41%) of knowledge on the relationship between climate change and buildings. On the other hand, there is the willingness (100%) on the part of these professionals to use a sustainable design guide. This study also recommends a design checklist for architects, clients and design approval agency in Nigeria in order to ensure standards and compliance to the use of sustainable features by designers.