Video

Why did fast food restaurants stop being colorful and playful and become minimalist boxes?

Over the past decades, the architecture of fast food restaurants has undergone a deep transformation. Spaces that were once designed to attract children and families, with playgrounds, mascots, and bright colors, have given way to standardized buildings with straight lines, neutral palettes, and minimalist aesthetics.

This change is not a matter of fashion. It is directly linked to economic, operational, and legal variables. The current format responds to the need to reduce costs, minimize legal risks, facilitate real estate adaptations, and accommodate new forms of consumption, such as delivery apps.

The playful buildings of the past presented concrete problems: playgrounds that caused accidents, structures that were difficult to clean, and high maintenance costs. This led to lawsuits, fines, and financial losses. In response, the playgrounds were removed and architecture began to prioritize efficiency.

In addition, the operation of fast food chains has changed. Today, a large share of orders no longer happens in the dining area, but through apps. This directly impacts restaurants layouts, which now include double drive-thru lanes, technical areas for delivery riders, and internal structures optimized for high-scale production.

Another important factor is real estate value. Themed buildings are difficult to adapt to other uses. Generic constructions, with simple and modular façades, make renovations easier and reduce conversion costs. This characteristic makes these properties more attractive to investment funds and chains that operate at scale.

More recently, sustainability has become part of the architectural discourse of these chains. This is reflected in the use of materials such as engineered wood, modular systems that reduce waste, and faster construction processes. However, these advances also meet market requirements, such as ESG targets and faster financial returns.

This change in visual, therefore, is not isolated. It follows transformations in production, consumption, logistics, and asset management. Architecture fulfills an operational and symbolic role within this system.

Want to check out the full analysis on changes in fast food architecture?

Watch our video on the topic and dive deeper into the subject through examples, comparative data, and images of real projects!

Disclaimer: The video is in Brazilian Portuguese, but simultaneous translation and subtitles are available in multiple languages.

UGREEN

The UGREEN Pass has changed!

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For those who want to apply, go deeper, and turn sustainability into professional value.

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Video

Hemp and the blocking of sustainable solutions

Why was one of the most promising materials for sustainability removed from the global market for nearly a century?

For millennia, hemp has been cultivated across different cultures and continents because of its versatility. It was used to produce textiles, paper, food, medicines, and even construction materials. It grew quickly, required few inputs, and helped regenerate the soil.

Despite these characteristics, hemp was criminalized, abandoned, and replaced by alternatives that were more polluting, more expensive, and more complex. The question is unavoidable: why?

The answer is not found in scientific evidence or real risks. It lies in economic and political decisions made between the 1920s and 1930s, a period when industrial interests sought to replace natural materials with synthetic, petroleum-based inputs protected by patents.

This choice directly affected sectors such as textiles, paper, and especially construction. Hemp did not disappear because it was inefficient. It was removed because it was too efficient and extremely accessible, making it difficult to control through monopolies.

Today, in the face of the climate crisis and the urgent need for regenerative, low-impact materials, hemp is re-emerging as a real alternative. However, its return faces obstacles inherited from this past: legal barriers, lack of technical knowledge, and political resistance.

If hemp is one of the most sustainable solutions available, why is it still so marginalized in many parts of the world?

Who benefits when it is not an option?

And what does the history of its prohibition teach us about the choices that shape the future of materials?

Want to know the answers to these questions?

Watch our full video on the topic and understand how this plant was silenced, and why it may be central to sustainable construction in the 21st century.

Disclaimer: The video is in Brazilian Portuguese, but simultaneous translation and subtitles are available in multiple languages.