HODSON, Peter, Richmond resident, died July 2, 2021, following an extended illness. He is survived by his brother, Jon Hodson of Phoenix, Arizona; and his sister, Jill Bowers of St. George, Utah. Born in 1943 in upstate New York, Hodson was educated at the University of Virginia, where he received undergraduate and graduate degrees in architectural history. He also undertook post-graduate studies at Cornell University and King's College Cambridge. Following his studies at Cambridge, Hodson served for several decades as a senior lecturer at the University of Portsmouth School of Architecture, where he specialized in teaching classical architecture as a design resource for contemporary work, a unique offering in Britain at the time. For several years, he was a special tutor at the Prince of Wales's Institute of Architecture in London. More recently, Professor Hodson taught in Virginia Commonwealth University's summer school.

In 2007, Hodson received the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art's prestigious Arthur Ross Award for Architectural Education. Among his publications is The Design and Building of Bremo (2012), a detailed study of a famous Virginia plantation house. In later years, Hodson made Richmond his permanent residence, where he continued to teach through VCU, as well as serve as an instructor and design critic for Glave' & Holmes Architecture, where his impact was profound. Hugh Petter, one of Hodson's graduates and a director of Adam Architecture of Winchester and London, stated, "Over the course of his academic career, Peter touched the hearts and minds of thousands of architects and students across the UK and the United States."

Burial will be private. Memorials may be sent to support educational programming at the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art, 20 W. 44th Street, Suite 310, New York, N.Y. 10036. Please note that your contribution is being made in memory of Peter Hodson.

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Published by Richmond Times-Dispatch from Jul. 11 to Jul. 18, 2021.

Memories and Condolences
for Peter Hodson

Sponsored by Bennett Funeral Homes Central Chapel - Richmond.

5 Entries

Chris Draper

March 7, 2022

Chris Draper

March 7, 2022

Chris Draper

March 7, 2022

Peter was a legend and I am so gratful to have been a student whilst he taught at Portsmouth. I initially met him whilst studying at the Prince Of Wale's Institute of Architecture in 1993. He was briming with enthusiasm.

He convinced me that the ONLY place to study for my architecture degree was Portsmouth, and I cant thank him enough. He was a great supporter of Classical design and encouraged everyone to open their eyes and minds to the historical precedent.

Most will know him for the Italy Field Trip each easter. A choice between Barcalona and Florence/Rome, he was forthright in stating that all the best students went to Rome. He had a wonderful turn of phrase and wicked sence of humour.

For example.

"If you go to Rome you must know about wine. It comes in two flavours Red and White"

"The way to become a successful architect is Network, Network and you guessed it Network"

"Winning the lottery wont make you happy, but it will make being miserable way easier"

He had an anecdote for every street corner in Rome, admitting he never let the truth get in the way of a good story. Such as the white birds seen circling above the oculos of the Pantheon each evening were doves directly decended from those in ancient Rome. Who cares that they were in fact sea gulls. He brought the city to life with his theatrical dialogue.

Everyone who went to Rome will remember the end of the first evening walk. The famed Bar Tre Scalini in Piazza Navona. Where, according to Peter, the tartufo had cherries marinaded in sherry for ten years and a 100 bars of chocolate were condenced into every bite. In fact the portions were so small because it was illegal to sell it larger and if they did the world supply of cocoa beans would run out.

I was fortunate to help out with the drawing course for several years and never got tired of listening to him. In the end I took over a few of the walking tours. An honour.

He was extremely generous with his time and his office door was always open. He read through several very rough copies of my dissertation with every other word misspelt and even paid for me to attend the POWIA summer school in Virginia in 1997. He was kind and took a genuine interest in all the students work.

Im really sad to have found out that he passed away last year. What a brilliant man, he touched the hearts of everyone who met him.

The Rev'd Laurence Edward Alexander Franks

July 13, 2021

I met Peter in 1959. His father had remarried and relocated to El Porto CA which was unincorporated LA County territory. His father was from Sheffield Yorkshire in the metallurgy business I recall and grandfather had a hand in the invention of stainless steel. Students were assigned to El Segundo High the adjacent Beach Town to the north. Graduated in '61 and remaining in contact, our paths crossed again in the late summer of '67. I was about to start studies in Late Roman Imperial Administration at Cambridge University. Peter, had started at Cornell. He wanted out and asked me to do what I could. Not knowing nothing from anything I went to the School of Architecture, met the Head, and told him of Peter's accomplishments esp. the book on Bremo. In November he wrote me an ecstatic letter informing me he had bee accepted at King's College, Cambridge (I was at Christ's). I went back to the States in 1970 but he stayed in England. We keep in touch, from the 80s twice a year in Manhattan Beach CA at the family home, and whenever I was back in Europe which became frequent from the late 90s, esp. Easter Week in Rome when he brought down 2nd year students from Portsmouth.

Peter was brilliant, irascible, funny as all get out, honest and trustworthy to a fault.

Some years ago he took me to St. Paul's Cathedral after its interior had been cleaned and restored. Yep, the Head of Works who did it was a pupil. This is but one story of his many students who have gone on to distinguished careers having been exposed to his wisdom and to the Classical Curriculum (he was also Admissions Tutor for many years), "You're not getting your MA in Architecture unless you pass drawing by hand," and "the way you positioned the rooms in this house makes access to the second floor (1st in England) well-nigh impossible."

Peter above all wanted to teach. Although he wrote and spoke eloquently, he hated writing as it was a chore for him. His lasting legacy is a squad of people who counteracted some of the worst of Modern Architecture (he loved GOOD modern) by doyens who preached that nothing before 1920 was of any worth.

I was sure he'd make it in fair shape to 90 (his father made it to 92).

I'll be seeing you again, friend, for pre-dinner drinks in the Piazza della Rotunda facing the Pantheon.

Carolyn and James Robinson

July 12, 2021

16 years ago when Peter was in Richmond for the summer, he (and some of his students) designed the facades of our home. We really enjoyed our time with him and love what he did for us.

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