Located near Shenzhen, China, Pingdi is a new low-carbon city where innovative and sustainable technologies are being developed and stimulated. The design takes on an existing multistory manufactory structure and transforms it into a new prototype of office/workplace. Taking the notion of sustainability into consideration, this project aims to create a collaborative working environment in which original ideas are exchanged, spread and promoted, while still incorporating sustainable elements into the building itself. The structure hosts different firms which all study and focus on sustainability in diverse fields. Starting with four original firms researching individual topics, the adaptive structure allows potential developments of the firms in terms of quantities and qualities, accordingly to the fast development of Pingdi over time.

As opposed to a conventional Chinese office building, in which interior spaces are divided into narrower compartments which isolate and limit interactions between employees, this prototype provides a well-balanced working environment that incorporates spaces for both collaborative and private work modes. Furthermore, while regular individual office space can be shrunk down due to the increasing number of occupants, hence more interior partitions over time, the plug-in system can adopt more firms without compromising the exiting spaces of the current firms.