FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Austonian awarded Four-Star Commercial Rating

from Austin Energy Green Building
Coveted rating reflects The Austonian's commitment to green living
AUSTIN (Nov. 9, 2010)—The Austonian, Austin's newest and tallest luxury residential
high-rise in the heart of downtown, has been awarded a coveted Four-Star rating from
Austin Energy Green Building (AEGB), making the residential high rise the only one of
its kind in the central business district.

A reflection of local needs and values, AEGB rates values such as energy efficiency,
water conservation, indoor environmental quality, construction waste reduction, and the
community and cultural aspects of a project in its stringent rating program. The award-
winning Austin Energy program meets and often exceeds the standards of the U.S. Green
Building Council's LEED Rating System. The Austonian’s Four Star rating is equivalent
to the LEED Gold rating.

"No other downtown high-rise has earned this level of official recognition," said Maureen
T. Scanlon, P.E., AEGB’s Commercial Program coordinator. "Others may say they are
green, but The Austonian has the credentials. The Austonian stands far above others in
more ways than one."

The protection and conservation of resources, and the creation of a healthy living
environment, were key priorities for The Austonian development team, who made and
kept their commitment to invest in green building and sustainable design from the
beginning stages of the project’s development.

"We are extremely pleased to have achieved a Four-Star rating from Austin Energy
Green Building," said Bob Albanese, design and construction manager for The
Austonian. "This accomplishment is the result of support from our developer to realize a
goal, keen attention to detail and a lot of hard work by the design and construction team."
From its initial planning stages, The Austonian set out to create a new standard for luxury
condominiums, redefining the term so that it’s synonymous with green living.

One of the primary objectives realized by Ziegler Cooper Architects of Houston, the
building's designer, was to create a space that supports energy and natural resource
conservation.

The building occupies just one-third of a city block, providing luxury homes for 166
families on less than three-quarters of an acre. In contrast, a suburban residential
community housing the same number of families on one-acre lots requires at least 27
acres of asphalt and concrete.

Compared to a 166-family Hill Country community, The Austonian will save 33.2
million gallons of drinking water each year in landscape watering. This is due to The
Austonian’s minimal land-use and its unique irrigation system, which uses condensation
from the cooling system to irrigate the 10th floor rooftop urban garden. The building’s
landscape architecture also utilizes native plants and creates a cooling effect at the street
level and on the 10th floor garden.

The street level design incorporates pedestrian-oriented elements to emphasize the urban
setting and provide a coordinated transition from the building to the street. In keeping
with the City of Austin Great Streets program, landscape architect TBG Partners
incorporated standard paving materials, street trees and furnishings for the areas along the
curb line. Along the building, TBG incorporated a series of distinctive spaces defined by
planters, trellises and landscape materials.

Each residence was designed to allow for natural light in at least 75 percent of the space,
minimizing electrical lighting requirements. In common areas, sensors and dimming
ballasts also reduce the amount of lighting used when the areas are unoccupied. Specially
coated, insulated glass and a reflective roofing system also provide year-round energy
savings.

The Austonian has worked with local provider Austin Energy to ensure that energy use is
as efficient as possible. The building's heating and air conditioning (HVAC) system,
which includes climate control in each residence, is connected to Austin Energy’s chilled
water system. Using chilled water for air conditioning in lieu of individual condensation
units results in a more efficient production of cool air and a lower overall impact on
natural resources. Also, low-flow lavatories, dishwashers, and clothes washers in each
home will reduce the use of potable water by approximately 30 percent compared to
typical fixtures.

All construction materials used at The Austonian adhere to the strict VOC standards
required by the AEGB Rating System. These low-emitting materials improve indoor air
quality. Additionally, the maintenance plan for The Austonian includes green
housekeeping and integrated pest control, which further protect the air quality within the
building.

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About The Austonian
Located at the corner of 2nd and Congress in Austin, Texas, The Austonian luxury
condominiums opened to residents in June 2010. The tallest building in downtown Austin
and the tallest residential building in the western United States, The Austonian offers
panoramic views of Austin and the surrounding Texas Hill Country. More than 40,000
square feet of private amenities are available to residents of The Austonian and include a
55th floor that can host parties from 15 to 200, a 56th floor dedicated to exercise and
10th-floor amenities ranging from poolside cabanas and kitchens to a 12-seat screening
room.

The Austonian is the second North American luxury real estate project by Benchmark
Development, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Grupo Villar Mir (GVM), creators
of the Mayakoba golf, hotel and residential resort located on Mexico’s Yucatan
Peninsula. GVM has developed and sold over 7,000 individual residential condominium
units and has controlling interest in Obrascón Huarte Lain (OHL), which has built and
sold over 20,000 residential condominium units over the past decade.

More information about The Austonian is available at www.theaustonian.com. Keep up

with the latest news, notes and views regarding The Austonian on the development’s
blog, www.theaustonianblog.com.

About Austin Energy Green Building

The City of Austin created the nation’s first green building program in 1990. Austin
Energy Green Building (AEGB) is now the nation's most successful sustainable building
program. AEGB encourages Central Texans to design and construct more sustainable
homes and buildings. The mission of AEGB is “to lead the transformation of the building
industry to a sustainable future.” By developing and maintaining its own Austin-specific
rating system, AEGB has the flexibility to carry out Austin’s aggressive climate
protection goals. The ratings are used to pave the way for energy and building code
changes that will reduce building energy use. This continuous improvement cycle
benefits everyone. More information about Austin Energy Green Building is available at
http://greenbuilding.austinenergy.com .

The Austonian Green Features: What Makes it Different

The Austonian has been committed from the beginning to achieve results on the green
building front. The developer, construction manager, construction team, architects,
engineers, landscape architects and the Austin Energy Green Building team met from the
earliest planning stages to identify opportunities and to develop original solutions to
complex construction challenges. By following this process, The Austonian is now only
the second building in downtown Austin with a Four-Star Commercial Rating from
Austin Energy Green Building and the only downtown high rise to earn this level of
official recognition.

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 When constructing a building in downtown Austin, a one-star rating from
Austin Energy Green Building is the minimum requirement. The Austonian
made a conscious decision to surpass the minimum by investing in design,
materials and processes that support energy and water conservation and improve
the indoor environment.

The Austonian reduced energy consumption without compromising aesthetics

and comfort for its residents. Two examples include the integration of a chilled
water cooling system and construction of the building’s glass envelope with
high performance one-inch insulating glass that incorporates a low-E coating
that provides a high transmittance of light, low solar heat gain, and a low
reflectance.

By capturing and sorting recyclable construction waste, The Austonian team

diverted over 2,150 tons of material from the landfill. An estimated 87 percent
of all construction waste was recycled, which far exceeds the Austin Energy
Green Building minimum requirement of 50 percent.

The overall design of The Austonian by Houston, Texas firm Ziegler Cooper
Architects is unique. By employing wind-tunnel studies and creating an
elliptical building shape, the design team reduced the amount of materials
needed to create the 56-story tower, preserved the view of the Texas State
Capitol, and brought daylight to 75 percent or more of each residential unit.

The landscape design on the 10th floor,created by TBG Partners, encompasses

12,000 square feet and provides places to swim, entertain and relax. The
natively-landscaped green roof is irrigated with condensate water from the
chilled water cooling system. The use of this reclaimed water is made possible
by capturing condensation and storing it in tanks on the 9th floor.

Historic preservation and adaptive reuse is another unique component of The

Austonian project. In consultation with local preservation expert Emily Little,
FAIA, the team reconstructed the façade of the Brown-Dumas Blacksmith
Shop, which existed for about 100 years at the site until it was blown over in a
windstorm in 2007. The façade incorporates materials from the original
building, as well as a reproduction of the original lettering painted on the side of
the blacksmith shop.

About The Austonian

Located at the corner of 2nd and Congress in Austin, Texas, The Austonian luxury
condominiums opened to residents in June 2010. The tallest building in downtown Austin
and the tallest residential building in the western United States, The Austonian offers
panoramic views of Austin and the surrounding Texas Hill Country. More than 40,000
square feet of private amenities are available to residents of The Austonian and include a
55th floor that can host parties from 15 to 200, a 56th floor dedicated to exercise and

4
10th-floor amenities ranging from poolside cabanas and kitchens to a 12-seat screening
room.

The Austonian is the second North American luxury real estate project by Benchmark
Development, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Grupo Villar Mir (GVM), creators
of the Mayakoba golf, hotel and residential resort located on Mexico’s Yucatan
Peninsula. GVM has developed and sold over 7,000 individual residential condominium
units and has controlling interest in Obrascón Huarte Lain (OHL), which has built and
sold over 20,000 residential condominium units over the past decade.

More information about The Austonian is available at www.theaustonian.com. Keep up

with the latest news, notes and views regarding The Austonian on the development’s
blog, www.theaustonianblog.com.

About Austin Energy Green Building

The City of Austin created the nation’s first green building program in 1990. Austin
Energy Green Building (AEGB) is now the nation's most successful sustainable building
program. AEGB encourages Central Texans to design and construct more sustainable
homes and buildings. The mission of AEGB is “to lead the transformation of the building
industry to a sustainable future.” By developing and maintaining its own Austin-specific
rating system, AEGB has the flexibility to carry out Austin’s aggressive climate
protection goals. The ratings are used to pave the way for energy and building code
changes that will reduce building energy use. This continuous improvement cycle
benefits everyone. More information about Austin Energy Green Building is available at
http://greenbuilding.austinenergy.com .

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