Patrick Gwynne (1913 – 2003) was born into a wealthy family and showed an enthusiasm for architecture at a young age, joining the office of John Coleridge, a former assistant of Edwin Lutyens. His attention was soon diverted towards Europe, where the likes of Le Corbusier were pushing architecture in an entirely new direction; having sought more suitable employment, he ended up in the offices of Wells Coates, where he worked alongside Denys Lasdun. It was with the assistance of Coates and Lasdun that Gwynne designed The Homewood in Esher, one of the finest achievements of residential architecture in Britain. Working from The Homewood, where he lived from 1942 until the end of his life, he soon began to receive commissions for private houses from distinguished and wealthy clients. Throughout the 1950s and 60s, he designed a number of houses in Hampstead and Blackheath in London, and in Surrey, Oxfordshire and Dorset, many of which have been Grade II listed. For other British Modern house designers, see our Directory of Architects and Designers.