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Plugin Tower

People’s Architecture Office answers to the urgent need of not loosing one’s property in China, with a temporary structure that can be moved whenever forced to relocate.

People’s Architecture Office, Plugin Tower, Vanke headquarters, Shenzhen, China, 2016

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People’s Architecture Office was invited by Vanke real estate developer to tackle the future of housing through an experimental built work, during the design event that takes place at Shenzhen every year.

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People’s Architecture Office, Plugin Tower, Vanke headquarters, Shenzhen, China, 2016

People’s Architecture Office, Plugin Tower, Vanke headquarters, Shenzhen, China, 2016

People’s Architecture Office, Plugin Tower, Vanke headquarters, Shenzhen, China, 2016

People’s Architecture Office, Plugin Tower, Vanke headquarters, Shenzhen, China, 2016

People’s Architecture Office, Plugin Tower, Vanke headquarters, Shenzhen, China, 2016

People’s Architecture Office, Plugin Tower, Vanke headquarters, Shenzhen, China, 2016

People’s Architecture Office, Plugin Tower, Vanke headquarters, Shenzhen, China, 2016

People’s Architecture Office, Plugin Tower, Vanke headquarters, Shenzhen, China, 2016

Installed at Vanke’s headquarters, Tower addresses the insecurity of private home ownership in a country where land is held exclusively by the government and the construction of private homes is reserved for the very wealthy. The Plugin Tower curtails the investment necessary for building a home since it excludes the risk of losing one’s property: residents can pack up their homes and bring it with them if they are ever forced to relocate. 

Classified as a temporary structure, the Plugin Tower does not require an underground foundation, thereby circumventing the strict planning approval for permanent structures and easing the requirements for building a private house. A multistory prefab system that is infinitely expandable, the Metabolist-inspired Plugin Tower is comprised of a steel space frame, a kit of parts that can be assembled in endless variations.

People’s Architecture Office, Plugin Tower, Vanke headquarters, Shenzhen, China, 2016

Empty bays within the frame are plugged with living units, altered and unplugged when necessary. Units are made with PAO’s proprietary Plugin Panel system, modules that incorporate insulation, wiring, plumbing, interior and exterior finishes into one molded part. Panels are attached with integrated locks, easily installed by a couple of unskilled people with just a hex wrench.

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People’s Architecture Office, Plugin Tower, north elevation

People’s Architecture Office, Plugin Tower, east elevation

People’s Architecture Office, Plugin Tower, section

People’s Architecture Office, Plugin Tower, second floor plan

People’s Architecture Office, Plugin Tower, third floor plan

People’s Architecture Office, Plugin Tower, diagram

People’s Architecture Office, Plugin Tower, diagram

People’s Architecture Office, Plugin Tower, diagram

Plugin Tower, Shenzhen, China
Program: temporary housing
Design: People’s Architecture Office
Team: He Zhe, James Shen, Zang Feng, Zhang Minghui, Lin Mingkai, Amy Song, Zhang Zhen
Client: Vanke
Completion: 2016

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