Assessment of Building Characteristics, Ventilation Openings and Natural Ventilation Performance in Community Health Centres in Ogbomoso, Nigeria

This study assessed the influence of natural ventilation on users’ satisfaction in selected community health centres in Ogbomoso, Nigeria, with the findings intended to inform the design of a proposed community health centre in Aroje. A descriptive research design was adopted, combining questionnaire surveys with field observation and assessment of ventilation characteristics. Data were collected from 182 users, comprising patients, visitors, healthcare workers and other users of selected health centres. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages and mean weighted values, were used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that 55.5% of the respondents identified the facilities as Primary Health Centres, while 69.8% were government-owned and 87.9% were single-storey buildings. Regarding users’ thermal responses, 72.0% reported feeling slightly warm or hot, while 66.5% preferred cooler indoor conditions and 75.9% experienced heat discomfort at least sometimes. The assessment of ventilation openings showed that 53.8% reported the absence of cross-ventilation, while 51.6% described windows as small and 39.6% rated existing openings as inadequate. Perceived ventilation performance was generally low, with cross-ventilation availability recording the lowest mean weighted value of 2.29, while ventilation effectiveness during hot periods recorded 2.30. These findings indicate that inadequate opening sizes, poor positioning, obstruction and limited cross-ventilation constrain natural ventilation performance. The study recommends climate-responsive design strategies incorporating effective cross-ventilation, adequately sized operable openings, shaded outdoor spaces and high-level ventilation openings for improved user comfort and satisfaction.