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BRE Properties' 5600 Wilshire Apartment Community in Los Angeles Awarded LEED(R) Green Building and GreenPoint Rated(TM) Certifications

Posted on: Tuesday, 21 April 2009, 09:00 CDT

First Multifamily Property in Southern California to Receive Both Certifications

SAN FRANCISCO, April 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BRE Properties, Inc. (NYSE: BRE) today announced that its 5600 Wilshire apartment community in Los Angeles is the first multifamily property in Southern California to receive both LEED-NC v2.2 Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and GreenPoint Rated certification by Build It Green.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the USGBC's leading rating system for designing and constructing the world's greenest, most energy-efficient and high-performing buildings. GreenPoint Rated is a point-based system that evaluates energy efficiency, resource conservation, indoor air quality, water conservation and community.

"BRE is proud to receive LEED Silver certification and GreenPoint Rated certification for 5600 Wilshire because it represents our vision for energy-efficient, environmentally conscious multifamily development," said Stephen Dominiak, BRE's chief investment officer. "As long-time developers in California, we always have been sensitive and responsive to the needs and quality of life in the cities in which we live, work and build. Today, more than ever, that means green building practices certified by respected third parties, such as USGBC and Build It Green. Everyone involved - our neighbors, our residents, and our BRE associates and shareholders - benefits from sustainable, green development."

5600 Wilshire was designed by BRE Properties and Van Tilburg, Banvard & Soderbergh Architects to achieve LEED and GreenPoint Rated certifications for energy use, lighting, water, air quality and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies.

LEED and GreenPoint certification of 5600 Wilshire were based on a number of green design and construction features that have a positive impact on the property itself and the broader community. These features include:

• Access to public transportation and bicycle storage;
• Water efficient landscaping and water-use reduction;
• High-performance thermal windows;
• Energy efficiency;
• Recycled content in construction materials;
• Low-emitting paints, coatings and carpets; and
• Innovation in building design.

The LEED Green Building Rating System(TM) is a feature-oriented rating system that awards buildings points for satisfying specified green building criteria in six major environmental categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and innovation and design. LEED verifies environmental performance, occupant health and financial return. LEED was established for market leaders to design and construct buildings that protect and save precious resources, while also making good economic sense.

The GreenPoint rating process is a physical examination of building systems, structures, materials, and components to assess energy and water efficiency, indoor air quality, resource efficiency of materials and construction methods, and construction quality.

About the U.S. Green Building Council

USGBC is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies and other nonprofit organizations. Since UGSBC's founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 17,000 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family of LEED green building rating systems, an expansive educational offering, the industry's popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, and a network of 78 local chapters, affiliates and organizing groups. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.

About Build It Green

Build It Green is a non-profit organization that provides the GreenPoint Rated program as a public service. The GreenPoint Rated program seeks to promote high-performance homes and best practices in residential construction by establishing a label to distinguish green homes from conventional homes through credible third-party inspection and verification. The organization also fosters positive interactions between GreenPoint Raters and building professionals, and documents the full extent of resource conservation benefits that green building practices deliver. For more information, go to http://www.builditgreen.org.

About BRE Properties, Inc.

BRE Properties, based in San Francisco, Calif., owns and manages apartment communities convenient to its residents' work, shopping, entertainment and transit in supply-constrained Western U.S. markets. BRE directly owns and operates 72 apartment communities totaling 21,196 units in California, Arizona and Washington. The company invests in communities through acquisition and development, and currently has seven properties in various stages of development and construction, totaling 2,077 units, and joint venture interests in 13 additional apartment communities, totaling 4,080 units. BRE Properties is a real estate investment trust (REIT) listed in S&P MidCap 400 Index. For more information on BRE Properties, please visit our Web site at www.breproperties.com. (Property data as of 12/31/08)

SOURCE BRE Properties, Inc.

Source: PR Newswire

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