Social Network Factory

  • “Social Network Factory” Installation, by People's Architecture Office at Sea World Culture and Arts Center. Image Courtesy of Zhang Chao.
  • “Social Network Factory” Installation, by People's Architecture Office at Sea World Culture and Arts Center. Image Courtesy of People's Architecture Office.
  • “Social Network Factory” Installation, by People's Architecture Office at Sea World Culture and Arts Center. Image Courtesy of Zhang Chao.

Social Network Factory aims to create a space where visitors and members of the community can come together to play, relax and enjoy the surroundings in exciting new ways while interacting with and contributing to examples of contemporary social design. Inspired by the bustling everyday social activities that are common in the streets of Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, their project explores how the results of design planning on a newly developed urban setting can foster a sense of belonging and social connection.

Social Network Factory aims to create a space where visitors and members of the community can come together to play, relax and enjoy the surroundings in exciting new ways while interacting with and contributing to examples of contemporary social design. Inspired by the bustling everyday social activities that are common in the streets of Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, their project explores how the results of design planning on a newly developed urban setting can foster a sense of belonging and social connection.

In November 2019, a permanent public installation “The Social Network Factory” was revealed at Design Society, Shenzhen. The installation features eye-catching overlapping tubes and apparatus, megaphones and slides of varying heights—an interactive, sensual experience that was built to create a space where visitors and members of the community can come together to play, relax and enjoy the surroundings.

Along with the installation the team also launched an exhibition called “Social Design: Learning at Play – Ten Years of People’s Architecture Office”, a retrospective of the practice’s decade of work.

Milestones

2017.Q3
Project awarded Design Trust Feature Grant

2019.11-2020.02
Presented exhibition “Social Design: Learning at Play – Ten Years of People’s Architecture Office” at Sea World Culture and Arts Center in Shenzhen, the installation “Social Network Factory” is also revealed to the public

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2017
Grantee: James Shen, Zang Feng, He Zhe
Organisation: People's Architecture Office

Beijing-based People’s Architecture Office was founded by He Zhe, James Shen and Zang Feng in 2010, and consists of a multi-disciplinary team of architects, engineers, product designers and urbanists. With the belief that design is for the masses the studio focuses on social impact through design. People’s Architecture Office is the first architecture practice in Asia certified as a B-Corporation and serves as a model for social entrepreneurship.

Project Progress:

“Social Network Factory” rendering, by People’s Architecture Office at Sea World Culture and Arts Center. Image Courtesy of People’s Architecture Office.

“Social Network Factory” rendering, by People’s Architecture Office at Sea World Culture and Arts Center. Image Courtesy of People’s Architecture Office.

Project Result: "Social Design: Learning at Play - Ten Years of People’s Architecture Office" Exhibition and "Social Network Factory" Installation

Date: 23 November 2019 – 30 June 2020

Venue: 1F, the Sea World Culture and Arts Center, Shenzhen

“Social Network Factory” Installation” is officially launched at the exhibition “Social Design: Learning at Play – Ten Years of People’s Architecture Office“ co-organized by Design Society and People’s Architecture Office (PAO) opened at Sea World Culture and Arts Center in Shenzhen. The installation “The Social Network Factory” with features of eye-catching overlapping tubes and apparatuses, megaphones and slides of varying heights, enhancing interactive experiences and sensual excitements, was built and aim to create a space where visitors and members of the community can come together to play, relax and enjoy the surroundings.

“Social Network Factory” Installation, by People’s Architecture Office at Sea World Culture and Arts Center. Image Courtesy of People’s Architecture Office

“Social Network Factory” Installation, by People’s Architecture Office at Sea World Culture and Arts Center. Image Courtesy of People’s Architecture Office