• ArtHaus Jack London   


Riaz Capital's transformation of the Z hotel into ArtHaus Jack London preserves a slice of history while providing entry-level housing for Oakland residents

Converting existing buildings into multifamily housing can be a significant step in alleviating California's housing crisis. In one prominent example, Riaz Capital's newly completed multifamily project, ArtHaus Jack London, has been refashioned from the former Z-Hotel, an Oakland icon. This stylish 130 residence project makes entry-level housing more affordable for city residents, while preserving a slice of history in Oakland's Jack London Square.

Riaz Capital is a Bay Area based development and asset management company operating in the Bay Area for over 4 decades whose roots go deep in value-add and adaptive-reuse multifamily projects. ArtHaus Jack London is Riaz Capital's third successful large-scale adaptive reuse project. Previously, the company converted a Spanish-revival style church into the Rose on Bond, creating 60 modern residences while maintaining the building's aesthetic, and transformed an unused warehouse into ArtHaus Studios, a vibrant community of over 100 small businesses, local makers, and artists.

ArtHaus Jack London is the product of a meticulously planned transformation of Oakland's iconic Z Hotel. It takes inspiration from the Saguaro Hotel in Palm Springs, whose color palette is derived from the flora of the Mojave Desert. Reimagined into 128 chic studios, two 1-bedroom apartments, and a central courtyard featuring a resort-style pool surrounded by palm trees, ArtHaus Jack London seamlessly infuses the Palm Springs-inspired design elements while establishing its own identity within the vibrant community surrounding it. Riaz Capital's Design & Entitlement Vice President Lisa Vilhauer strategically utilized color to accentuate the architectural features of the building.

Art is the design ethos of ArtHaus Jack London. The Riaz Capital Arts Program offered the building as a canvas to the community. The first artistic element involves a partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Maika, an 11-year-old artist bravely facing severe aplastic anemia, created a stunning public mural with a powerful message for every passerby. Support for the project came from muralist Hueman, renowned for creating the Warriors jersey, a Nike shoe for the Olympics, and ArtHaus Studios, gave her support to the project.

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The second artistic element is the entire exterior mural, a captivating masterpiece skillfully crafted by Fernanda Martinez, an esteemed Oakland artist. Joining Martinez as contributors to this visual feast were talented artists Darin Balaban and Stevie Howell, each adding their unique touch to the collective celebration of art. Riaz Capital founder Riaz Taplin lauded the murals, saying, "We are proud to support initiatives that not only beautify our surroundings but also serve as a source of inspiration for all who encounter them."

While art was our design ethos, California's density bonus legislation helped us make our adaptive reuse vision a reality. The California Density Bonus law is a powerful tool that allows developers to increase the number of units in a project as long as a portion of the building is designated for accessibly priced housing. This law enabled us to increase the ArtHaus Jack London unit count from 102 hotel rooms to 130 entry-level apartments. Riaz Taplin emphasized the importance of the California Density Bonus Legislation in the development process "This legislation empowers developers to contribute to the social fabric of our communities by addressing the housing challenges in our state. ArtHaus Jack London stands as a testament to the positive impact coherent policy can have in creating more housing."

ArtHaus Jack London is a unique new addition to the Oakland cityscape and  represents the grit and determination of the city. The project also highlights how good public policy, like the State Density Bonus law, can help California meet the housing needs of its workers.