Vitruvius’s De Architectura, written in the first century BC and dedicated to Augustus, is the only complete treatise on architecture to survive from antiquity and the founding text of the Western architectural tradition. This abridgement distils Vitruvius’s principles on construction, proportion, materials, town planning, and the design of temples, houses, and war machines into a more accessible form for readers unable to tackle the full ten books.
This free EPUB is formatted for e-readers. Vitruvius’s famous triad — firmitas, utilitas, venustas (strength, utility, beauty) — has shaped architectural thinking from the Renaissance to the present day, and this abridgement is an excellent introduction to his thought.