CPI W-18b is a new small-scale commercial building situated on the lakeside of the CPI business cluster in Luxe Lakes, Chengdu. The owner seeks to seamlessly integrate the building with the lake, trees, and surroundings while fostering a dynamic, public-oriented commercial environment. They are interested in how the design can promote sustainable development in commercial spaces and address public accessibility in small-scale commercial buildings. This project also provides an opportunity to explore the relationship between commercial and public spaces and discuss sustainability issues.

1) Public Spaces:In the CPI commercial community, public spaces like parks, plazas, sidewalks, and waterfronts connect individual commercial units.We believe commercial units should also shoulder some public responsibilities. Tired visitors shouldn't only rely on roadside benches for rest; they should also have seating available outside every store. If each unit prioritizes maximizing its sales area or strictly defends its boundaries, the community will become fragmented, disjointed, and even confrontational.

2)Lightweight Materials, Emphasizing Spatial Form:This strategy allows for greater liberation and potential in the space. The use of a steel framework with 100*100-sized beams and columns, along with industrial products like sunlight panels and pressure-pressed steel plates, enables low-cost, rapid construction, and aligns with green energy principles. Under the use of lightweight industrial materials, wooden materials are employed for localized beams, columns, and structures, creating a warm community atmosphere.

3)Sustainability:The building facade utilizes a mesh screen, downplaying the silhouette of the structure. Fallen leaves on the mesh become part of the building's process and materials. The exterior appearance of the building changes with the seasons, transitioning from green to yellow, from sparse to dense. Embracing the local climate of Chengdu, it blurs the line between artificial and natural, utilizing tree canopies to create shaded spaces. The use of stone pavement extends from outdoors to indoors, bringing soil and small plants into the interior. The facade employs a multi-layered structure, with the outer mesh providing transparency for energy conservation when the temperature is suitable, while the inner glass sliding doors ensure thermal insulation and security.

All forms of commerce possess a degree of public space attributes, and public spaces also exhibit conditions for commercial activities. Their relationship is mutually beneficial but requires validation. The question of whether ‘urban public spaces are invented or negotiated’ is equally applicable here. Negotiation involves reciprocal change, just as sustainability entails adaptive change. Over the course of this 10-year community project, we aim to demonstrate our understanding of sustainability and the reality of sustainability being ‘unsustainable (unchanged)’over the decade.