The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) certified Wachovia’s (NYSE: WB) bank branch prototype in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for retail commercial interiors under the USGBC’s recently launched LEED Portfolio program. Seattle-based Callison Design, a leading international retail design firm, developed the Wachovia model and shaped the criteria for the new LEED programs. LEED for Retail is expected to launch to the market later in 2008.

The LEED for Retail pilot includes two new rating systems for retail buildings- Commercial Interior (CI) and New Construction (NC)- allowing existing retail spaces to retrofit their buildings in accordance with LEED requirements, as well as establishing standards for new building construction, initiating advancements for green building in the retail industry. [see “The new face of retail,” SI, Green Real Estate Guide, April 2008]

The LEED Portfolio program provides a streamlined process to certify multiple buildings after an initial prototype is qualified. In the case of the Callison-designed prototype for Wachovia’s banking centers, the Portfolio program will allow the bank to open more than 300 LEED certified branches by 2010.

“Up until now retailers have been slow to adopt sustainable practices,” said Chris Hamilton, principal at Callison, in a press release. “For the first time, national retailers can build to LEED standards across their portfolio of stores without having to go through the certification process for each individual site…thus saving time, money and manpower for retailers that want to go green.”

Callison has more than 9 million LEED registered projects worldwide