Hampton County Health Clinic
Liollio Architecture Firm: Elissa Bostain, AIA, Michael Edwards, AIA, Mary Tran, Assoc. AIA, and Dinos Liollio, FAIA
When designing public health facilities in underserved areas, community engagement is often missing. Understanding the community through collaborative discussions provided insight into the local design goals for the clinic.
This clinic was designed to reflect the community’s faith in their future. When this project began, the unemployment rate in Hampton County was 14.8%. In the face of such an economic headwind, the citizens passed a bond referendum to collect funds for twelve community projects, including a library, a senior center, community halls, and recreational facilities, to demonstrate their commitment both to quality of life and to economic growth. This health clinic, a joint venture between county and state agencies, was a priority among the twelve, the first to be built, and is a source of optimism in this rural community. Serving two contiguous rural communities, the new public health clinic replaces a fifty-year-old antiquated structure. Located in a former railroad town, the rectangular massing and simple materials are reminiscent of the boxcars that no longer stop on their way through. Dignifying a Public Health Clinic in a rural community requires a change in public perception. At the ribbon cutting, the elevated mood confirmed what the design team had hoped: this modest, durable, and noble clinic simply reflects the optimistic spirit of the community that built it.
