There is no kind of material, no body, and no thing that can be produced or conceived of, which is not made up of elementary particles; and nature do… - Vitruvius

There are three departments of architecture: the art of building, the making of time-pieces, and the construction of machinery.

For we must not build temples according to the same rules to all gods alike, since the performance of the sacred rites varies with the various gods.

All... must be built with due reference to durability, convenience, and beauty. Durability will be assured when foundations are carried down to the solid ground and materials wisely and liberally selected; convenience, when the arrangement of the apartments is faultless and presents no hindrance to use, and when each class of building is assigned to its suitable and appropriate exposure; and beauty, when the appearance of the work is pleasing and in good taste, and when its members are in due proportion according to correct principles of symmetry.