Tony Ward Education - Critical Education Theory, Pedadogogy and Practice

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Dankworth House (1980)

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John Dankworth and Cleo Laine, the international musicians, had a house in Sonoma California, which they shared with Cleo's son Stuart when they were in the States. They asked me if I would redesign the house to accommodate the whole extended family.

In many ways this projevt involved a rather conventional design process, though somewhat complicated by having to communicate across 8000 miles, without fax machines. The design involved cutting the roof off the garage and designed a second level with a bedroom and music studio with balconies looking out over the Sonoma Hills to the San Francisco Bay. The new wingh is on the opposite side of the house from the existing bedrooms - fostering necessary privacy after a long touring schedule. The addition seeks to capture John's liking for "California water towers" and to bring a little theatrical flamboyance mixed with British understatement into what was an unremarkable tract home with little distinguishing character. The upper level cantilevers over the lower to both maximise floor space and minimise costs, while also helping to model the facade. The result is not unlike an old English coach-house or mews.