Citi has announced that it is the first company to achieve LEED pre-certification for a retail commercial interior prototype through a pilot USGBC program.
Three new CitiFinancial branches in Austin, Texas, Flint, Mich., and Warrington, Penn., are the first Citi branches to be certified in this pilot program, and 27 other CitiFinancial and Citibank branches were designed with the same features and are in the process of pursuing LEED certification.
The 30 new branches include low-flow plumbing fixtures; energy-efficient office equipment; automatic lights; and carpet, desks, seating, fabrics and cabinetry made from recycled materials.
Citi, which has pledged to reduce GHG emissions 10 percent by 2011, was awarded LEED Gold certification for a new 15-story skyscraper in New York City (video tour here) and the company has registered several additional projects, including new data centers in Texas and Frankfurt, Germany, with the USGBC to pursue LEED certification.
A virtual tour of Citi’s green prototype branch is available here. And here’s an interesting tour of the green features of First Federal Savings Bank in Mishawaka, Ind.