Physical Structure of the Center:
The
main body of this prototype is a standard 20 foot ISO shipping
container that has terminated its "shipping life" because
of metal fatigue, but still is in very good condition for
other uses. Such containers are available thoughout the
world; our containers were purchased in Costa Rica for US$825.
Many different types of structures were considered, including
completely distributed ones, and the pros and cons of the
container itself were discussed. In the end the most promising
design was a relatively unmodified container, surrounded
and covered by a tensile fabric structure. Such structures
have substantial advantages:
- They are easily and economically available on
the market, and there is a worldwide infrastructure in
place for their transportation, which will facilitate
deployment to remote areas once converted.
- They ensure protection and security of equipment inside.
- They are suitable for "assembly line" conversion within
the country they will serve, to maximize use of local
materials.
- They have very sophisticated solar properties, so that
power requirements are minimal.
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