The copperplate engraving of a simple hut made of trees and branches is a hit in the history of architecture and has been printed countless times. First published in Marc-Antoine Laugier’s book in 1755, the image soon became the epitome of architecture having its origins in nature. Find out the background to the triumphant success of this depiction, which is currently on display in the exhibition “Die unterschätzte Horizontale. Das Gesims in Kunst und Architektur ” at the ETH Zurich Graphische Sammlung. And hear why the preoccupation with nature is still a theme today. What forms do architects such as Santiago Calatrava draw inspiration from? Why do bionics engineers such as Buckminster Fuller even borrow functional principles from the animal kingdom and apply them to buildings? The short lecture provides the answers.