Architecture plays an important role in giving form to the philosophical paradigms, social institutions and physical circumstances that define a culture in a given place and time. This thesis proposes to give form to a new cultural institution in the Texas Environmental Center Library within the physical and institutional context of Rice University. This thesis also gives form to new philosophical paradigms concerning humanity and nature, both through the design of the library and through lecture material created to bring the emerging discipline of environmental ethics to bear on the problems of architectural theory and design.