As emergency obstetric care (EmOC) services are being upgraded, many health planners are considering structural changes to the health facility. Preparing for a renovation is a long process which involves three phases: assessment, planning and implementation. Input from many sources during the course of this process is important. Some design objectives, simple planning techniques and cost considerations are presented. In this paper we discuss some of the critical aspects (based on published literature) in assessing, planning and implementing renovations at an EmOC facility. The actual in-the-field experience of renovations and repairs will be explored in a second paper in this issue.