Designers must shift their paradigm to focus on improving life quality and relationships between all living things and the built environment through ecological design principles. This involves working with natural processes, promoting green alternatives, and reducing waste by minimizing material and energy intensity. Industrial ecology and eco-design are approaches that can help reduce the environmental impact of the built environment. Sustainable landscape design should prioritize resilience and minimize inputs, while urban buildings should consider broader social and environmental contexts, transportation, contact with nature, floor planning, and employee comfort.