Indian Transgressions | Buy India Summer 2010 from Blurb

India Summer 2010 by Simon Drayson and Vinesh Pomal | Make Your Own Book

Writing | Buy Sameness from Blurb

Sameness by Simon Drayson | Make Your Own Book

Thesis Synopsis

Writing | Sameness

Thesis | Showcase

Can Heideggar's 'being-in-the-world' emerge from an Architecture of Essentiality?

Presentation of my thesis question to Roger Tyrrell and the rest of the Emergent Studio, with invited guests Adrian Carter of the University of Aalborg and Nick Timms of the University of Portsmouth's Landscape Studio. My question was expressed through the creation of an artefact - a stripped out dolls house with a cave space carved from one of its rooms, with a candle in the centre representing the hearth - to demonstrate that the essence of a house is a cave. I pose the question can design based upon first principles (rather than an established historical typology), create a truthful architecture that gives its inhabitants a greater awareness of their own existence; this will be explored in full for my next project, a Spiritual Retreat in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.

Writing | Symposium Video

Sameness: The Indian Transgression

A short talk discussing my experiences of domestic life (dwelling, eating, bathing and sleeping) in India with feedback from Roger Tyrrell and former head of school Professor Geoffrey Broadbent of the University of Portsmouth, and Adrian Carter and Lars Botin  of the University of Aalborg.

Writing | Symposium

Sameness: The Indian Transgression

“Modern architects have been harping continually on what is different in our time to such an extent, that even they have lost touch with what is not different, with what is always essentially the same.” Aldo van Eyck

These words ring true now more than ever. There is nothing banal about the familiar, and nothing poor about honesty. Simplicity can be sensual, and the truth can be humbling. There is beauty in everyday objects and occurrences, which in turn will become relics and rituals. By celebrating everyday architecture, the secular will become sacred.

Through a dialogue of differences between his experiences in India and the UK, Simon hopes to distill the underlying principles of architecture through identifying a prevalent human condition.

For more information visit facebook.com/event.php?eid=184744891540778

Publications | Coming Soon

Tectonic Transgressions

A photobook recording the unique qualities of light found whilst on study trips to Finland, Denmark and Estonia (the North) and Morocco (the South).

INDIA Summer 2010 (with Vinesh Pomal)

A photobook recording our travels from inception (Vinesh being awarded the RIBA Barrington Smith Travel Award 2010) to reflection (Vinesh and I giving a lecture at the Portsmouth School of Architecture).

Indian Transgressions | Lecture

Vinesh Pomal and I gave a lecture on our travels to India at the Portsmouth School of Architecture in aid of the Hope Foundation School in Bhuj where Vinesh and I ran an architectural workshop with the pupils.