Frame of Mind

When ZO Apartments set out to distinguish their Oakland property, they came to Hoist Media for more than decoration — they came for something that would give the building a point of view and give residents something to feel proud of every time they walked in.

Hoist designed and produced Frame of Mind for the building's exterior, creating original artwork scaled to the architecture and built to hold up in Bay Area conditions. Designing for a residential context demands a different sensitivity than a brand campaign — the mural lives with the people who call the building home, not a campaign that rotates out after a season.

The 2018 project became an early example of what's now a recognizable Hoist practice: working with real estate clients who understand that the best placemaking isn't about filling a wall, but about giving a building a perspective. Frame of Mind did that for ZO Apartments — a piece of public-facing art that reads clearly from the street and rewards the closer look of someone passing it every day.