The course reaches back to the foundational text in architecture, Vitruvius´ De Architectura (On Architecture) written ca. 20 BCE. It aims to re-evaluate the text and unravel the messages Vitruvius carries to today, concretized in specific areas of investigation. The first part of the course centers on understanding the text and its context, including some of Vitruvius´ central notions, and the books´ translations, interpretations, and publication history. A second part traces Vitruvius´ influence on architectural history and theory from antiquity to the present. A third part explores the relevance of Vitruvius today and aims to investigate how De architectura yields new and meaningful dimensions to the practice and thinking of architecture. Areas of investigation include materials, color, notions, gender, sustainability, the role of the architect, and the idea of the classical.