Interior Space Design for Community Health Clinics in Underserved Areas of Anambra State

Community health clinics in underserved rural and peri-urban areas of Anambra State, South East Nigeria, frequently operate in repurposed structures that were not designed for healthcare delivery. Inadequate spatial organisation, poor ventilation, insufficient lighting, and absence of patient privacy create environments that undermine clinical effectiveness and discourage health-seeking behaviour. This project undertakes a design investigation into the spatial arrangement, material specification, and user experience of three selected community health clinics in Awka South and Ogbaru local government areas. Building walkthroughs, occupancy observation studies, and structured interviews with clinic staff and patients documented critical spatial shortcomings and user needs. The redesign proposals address waiting zone segregation by gender and urgency, consultation room acoustic privacy, cross-ventilation optimisation through strategic window placement, and colour specifications that reduce clinical anxiety. Spatial layouts are developed for clinics with floor areas between thirty and sixty square metres, making proposals replicable across the majority of similar facilities. Material recommendations prioritise locally available, easily cleanable surfaces including ceramic tiles, moisture-resistant paint, and treated timber partitions. The redesign proposals were reviewed by Anambra State Ministry of Health officials and primary healthcare coordinators for feasibility and compliance with federal health facility standards. Feedback confirmed alignment with National Primary Health Care Development Agency guidelines. This project demonstrates that thoughtful interior design, even within severe resource constraints, significantly improves healthcare delivery environments. Keywords: healthcare interior design, community clinic, spatial design, Anambra State, primary healthcare.