A Bermudian architect, artist and craftsman who left his mark on the island’s skyline has died.

Simon Hodgson, whose worked included the Loren resort at Pink Beach in Tucker’s Town, was 54.

Friends paid tribute yesterday to Mr Hodgson, who was found dead outside a house in Southampton last Thursday morning.

Duncan Simons, a former president of the Institute of Bermuda Architects and the Royal Bermuda Regiment’s adjutant, said Mr Hodgson had given him his start in the profession at SHY Architecture in 2008.

Major Simons added: “Design and architecture were his passion and his focus.

“He was a genuinely nice guy who loved to do great work and was passionate about his profession.”

Major Simons said: “With architecture, the things you leave behind build your legacy. Although he may be gone, his work is still there.”

He added: “SHY Architecture was the first place I cut my teeth in the profession as an intern architect as I worked towards registration.

“At the time, SHY was considered one of the most progressive firms on the island and Simon was very much at the forefront of these efforts.

“He had an innate passion and capacity for design and he embraced any technology that furthered this passion.

“As architects, we are privileged to be able to leave behind a built legacy all over the island.”

Major Simons added: “The condominium buildings at 6 and 10 Dundonald Street are part of that legacy.”

Lisamarie Masters, president of the IBA, said: “As a long-standing respected architect member of the IBA, Simon contributed a refreshing perspective to the architectural landscape of Bermuda.”

She added: “His talent will be missed. We extend our most sincere condolences to his family and colleagues at this time.”

Mr Hodgson, a father of one, was a member of the Bermuda Society of the Arts. He juggled an arts career with architecture.

His art featured in the RG Magazine in 1997, where Mr Hodgson said he was a “Jack of all trades, master of none”.

Mr Hodgson had spent four years creating “utilitarian” artwork using wood and metal.

He took a welding course at the Bermuda College as a young architect in 1989 and kept up his studies as he worked towards a master’s degree in architecture at Edinburgh University in Scotland. He set up a workshop in 1992 and made artisan furniture and lamps.

He told RG Magazine: “I would come up with the ideas at work and come home and try to make them in the evenings.”

Mr Hodgson explained: “In architecture, you have to solve all the problems on paper. There’s no room for discovering design flaws while you are building.”

Mr Hodgson was also interested in renewable energy. He obtained the island’s first planning permit for a wind turbine at his father’s home in Somerset in 2007 and incorporated energy efficiency into his condominium designs.

Gilbert Lopes, a developer, worked with Mr Hodgson on the condominiums on Dundonald Street in Hamilton.

He said: “Simon was a cool guy, easy to sit and deal with. He listened instead of telling you what you should have.”

Mr Lopes said he recommended Mr Hodgson to Stephen King, owner of the Loren, after he asked for advice on architects for the resort.

He added: “Simon was the only architect. He designed the whole thing.

“We worked two years with him. He set up office right on the site and ran the whole job from there.

“It’s got to be one of the biggest jobs he did on his own. Everybody liked him. He will be a big miss.”