McDonald’s created a green flagship restaurant in Orlando, Florida

McDonald’s created a green flagship restaurant in Orlando, Florida

Images first and last: ©Sempergreen Services LLC.
Images others: ©Kate Joyce/Ross Barney Architects

Green walls: Sempergreen

Year: 2020

City: Orlando, Florida, USA

owner website

McDonald’s has opened a sustainable flagship restaurant at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. With this pilot project, they’re aiming to have the first energy-neutral fast food restaurant in the world. The restaurant’s many eco-friendly features include two SemperGreenwalls covering almost 185 square meters.

The first energy-neutral fast food restaurant in the world

McDonald’s has opened a sustainable flagship restaurant at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. With this pilot project, they’re aiming to have the first energy-neutral fast food restaurant in the world. The restaurant’s many eco-friendly features include two SemperGreenwalls covering almost 185 square meters.

The restaurant has been designed by Ross Barney Architects and architectural and engineering firm CPH. Not only were the living walls included as an impressive design feature, they also offer environmental benefits like reducing water runoff, cooling the air in- and outside the building, and stimulating local biodiversity.

Green living walls year-round

The designers have also been involved in the plant choices for the SemperGreenwalls. These have been tailored to the subtropical climate of Orlando, including native Floridian plants that require less water. To keep the facades green all year round, they have been equipped with the unique Sempergreen Plant Care System. This web-based system allows the walls to be monitored remotely and ensures that the plants are provided with the correct amount of water and nutrients.

 Sustainability measures McDonald’s Flagship

The building also contains plenty of other environmentally-friendly features. On the roof, over a 1.000 solar panels and solar glass have been installed to run the whole restaurant on sustainable energy. At the ground level, permeable paving has been used to enable better water management on-site. The data and experiences from this pilot restaurant in Walt Disney World Orlando will be a source of information for McDonald’s global sustainability efforts.

Besides working towards their goal of lowering their CO2 emissions by 36% between 2015 and 2030, the fast food chain also wants to inform its customers about the importance of sustainability. Therefore, the restaurant offers fun green amenities, like informative games and bikes which customers can use to generate electricity and light up the McDonald’s logo. The lit arches of the ‘M’ create a beautiful contrast with the green walls surrounding them.

Architects/Designers: Ross Barney Architects and CPHN
Green walls on property: 2 green walls, 185 square meters
Green wall system: SemperGreenwall Outdoor

Follow us on our social channels.

Follow us on the channel that best suits you to receive our latest updates!

Twitter Facebook-f Linkedin Youtube
NEW

LATEST POSTS

BROWSE ALL

Save the date: World Green Infrastructure Congress 2026

Join us at: World Green Infrastructure Congress BARCELONA 2026 October 27–29: CCIB – Parc del Fòrum, Barcelona (Spain) October 30: University of Lleida – Catalunya (Spain) Organized by: University of Lleida Co-organized by the World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN). Visit WGIC26.Barcelona

WGIC26 – Closing the gap between communities of practice for green infrastructure and health

  WGIN’s mission statement is “The World Green Infrastructure Network advocates for optimal use of green infrastructure in the urban built environment for the health and well-being of people and the planet.” WGIN has in recent years acknowledged a gap in the attention we’ve given to the human health and well-being benefits of urban green infrastructure. The next World Green Infrastructure Congress, WGIC26, in Barcelona in October 2026 will address this gap by dedicating one of its three thematic tracks to health and well-being. Our congress hosts, the University of Lleida, expect this track will contribute to increased focus on health and well-being within our community of practice, and will hopefully contribute to increased interdisciplinary collaboration with the health sector. WGIN members and stakeholders are encouraged to support and help distribute the soon to be published call for papers for WGIC26 through their websites, social media and personal networks and to assist in recruiting the health community to join us in Barcelona. Through stronger interdisciplinary collaboration we can foster greater recognition and support for urban and building integrated green infrastructure and its relevance in health research, policies and practices. The socioeconomic system seen through the One Health lens. Source

Green Street Standards – A Breakthrough in Urban Green and Blue Infrastructure (Wrocław, Poland)

Local stormwater management in a rain garden collecting runoff from S. Drabika Street, Wrocław (Poland). (Photo: J. Rubaszek). Planning and designing green and blue infrastructure (GBI) as an integral part of urban streets – as is widely recognised – requires support in terms of organisation, funding, legislation and social awareness. As demonstrated by the case of Wrocław – one of the fastest-growing cities in Poland – standards can serve as an effective tool for supporting the implementation of GBI. These standards include guidelines and model solutions that integrate spatial, technical, and environmental aspects. Before establishing these standards, introducing green and blue infrastructure to Wrocław’s streets – even in newly planned projects – posed significant challenges. The main obstacles included insufficient space, the location of underground utility networks in areas that could otherwise accommodate trees, and relatively low public awareness of the importance of creating proper conditions for vegetation, especially large street trees. Read the full article here.