Book excerpt: The surprising ways nature has influenced architecture. It may come as a surprise to learn that architects have found solutions to all kinds of design challenges in nature! Some have looked to nature to solve a structural problem, like creating an earthquake-proof bridge by mimicking the extremely long roots of a special type of grass. Others have turned to nature for artistic inspiration, designing buildings and bridges that evoke the movement of swimming fish or a bird in flight. When it comes to style and structure, nature and architecture make perfect partners! From cactuses to birdsê wings, termite towers to honeycombs, inspiration for ingenious design is everywhere around us!