In contemporary buildings, the built environment shows increasing problems with urban heat
island effects and environmental pollution. Emerging from these concerns is a new set of
design principles and practices where nature needs to play a bigger part called “biophilic
architecture.” This design approach asserts that the built environment should be considered as
part of outdoor spaces. This paper examines the evidence of urban environmental
degradation in terms of the urban heat island effect and also tries to introduce links between
the built environment and nature.
