Design can be a negative agent that limits people’s access to technology and knowledge. This is experienced in the designs of computer systems, access areas in buildings (such as electric escalators), which have been designed for people who use the new technologies and globalization concepts as part of their daily activities.

Thus main challenge for our designers is to design and develop new applications so that people with little or no experience can assimilate and incorporate the technological tools into their lives.

LINCOS considers design as basic element, alongside the community and the educational factors. Design is assumed as a tool to bring well-being to the communities in a tangible way, by means of an adequate distribution of space and a coherent design of furniture and information. In all aspects, design must be adjusted to the community needs, determined through diagnoses and their subsequent feedback obtained during the control visits.

The canopy and the Units’ design itself are the result of a joint effort which includes architecture, design and engineering, oriented to effectively reach those who work in the Units and all the community members who benefit on a daily basis.

An important concern in the designers’ minds has been to integrate the community needs, application development and environmental protection, by using environment-friendly materials. The containers used in each project were disposed of by shipping companies. By reusing these containers we minimize the environmental impact and benefit the communities who use them.

Presently, LINCOS has a group of highly experienced professionals from the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica that design and develop tensile structures. The program’s engineers evaluate each of the components inside the Unit, by verifying whether they adequately meet the community needs, and if they are in compliance with the quality standards. Likewise, students and trainees of design universities from around the world who help design and redesign new applications oriented to solve the community problems periodically visit LINCOS.