The Xiaotang Hutong 12 project is located in a traditional hutong block in the downtown of Beijing, China. Two blocks to the west from the site is Xidan, which is the most important commercial area in Beijing. And a five-minute walk to the east is Zhongnanhai _ the political center of China. Due to the rigid regulations of the downtown regeneration, the project could do little from the outside. Just one water brushed stone wall and the re-customized stainless steel door remind the existence of this cell renewal in this city.

The interior of the courtyard shows a specific openness of juxtaposition of the old and the new. The original three buildings remain unchanged, and two small houses are added to connect them in series. The old buildings were only repaired locally and remains in the "old" state. The new skins of metal and glass, which are the maintenance and display windows of the old house, is attached on them. In the interior of the building, the original structure and materials are exposed as much as possible through subtraction, while a new furniture system is introduced to meet the requirements of daily life.

As an urban regeneration project, Xiaotang Hutong 12 is wrapped in the duality of the city of commerce and politics. The opening and closing, the juxtaposition of the new and the old, are compressed in such a small courtyard with only 100 square meters from the outside to the inside.