200 Second Street • Location: Oakland, Calif. • Architect: David Baker + Partners Architects • Built: 2007 • Units: 74 • Notable: The six-story building features imaginative and eco-friendly details, including a glass-front lobby lined with articulated bamboo panels and illuminated by energy-efficient LED lighting.
Cesar Rubio 200 Second Street • Location: Oakland, Calif. • Architect: David Baker + Partners Architects • Built: 2007 • Units: 74 • Notable: The six-story building features imaginative and eco-friendly details, including a glass-front lobby lined with articulated bamboo panels and illuminated by energy-efficient LED lighting.

200 Second Street is a very high-quality building. Its price points are reasonable at $300,000 to $400,000, and the development has made a positive impact on its surrounding neighborhood. I am particularly inspired by the extremely efficient floor plans of the smaller units. They pack more livability and usability into 500 square feet than I have ever seen in a residential development. I also like how the developer partnered with local artists to decorate the common areas. Two-story lobbies feature murals by local artists—adding a touch of color and humor to the development.

—Rick Holliday, founder of Emeryville, Calif.-based Holliday Development and chairman of San Francisco-based BRIDGE Housing