Austin condo tower, The Austonian, has won three awards in recognition of the design and construction of the project from the Austin Business Journal, Engineering News-Record, and Texas Construction.

The elliptical design of The Austonian, which was created by Texas firm Ziegler Cooper Architects, stands in striking contrast to four-corned buildings in the Austin skyline. 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 natural light to 75 percent or more of each residential unit.

The construction of the project was completed ahead of schedule and with a safety record that far exceeded national averages. The Austonian occupies just one-third of a city block. A complex construction schedule required deliveries of construction material and manpower in 15-minute increments over the course of two years.

An estimated 87 percent of all construction waste was recycled during construction of The Austonian, which far exceeds the Austin Energy Green Building minimum of 50 percent. The Austonian team saved over 2,150 tons of material from entering a landfill.

In recognition of the project's commitment to green building, the Austin Business Journal awarded The Austonian a "Going Green" Award in 2011. The Austonian has received a Four-Star Commercial Rating from Austin Energy Green Building, making it the second building in downtown Austin—and the only downtown high-rise—to have earned this rating. A Four-Star rating is comparable to a U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold rating.

The Austonian has won two awards in recognition of excellence in design and construction. McGraw-Hill Construction awarded the condo project a national 2010 "Best of" award in the Multi-Family Residential/Hospitality category. The Austonian is the only Texas real estate development project to win a national "Best of" award in 2010. The second award received by The Austonian was a regional "Best of" award from Texas Construction in December 2010. The Texas Construction award put The Austonian project in the running for the national award.