Researching David Rock

Rock studied under Lord Holford and Peter Smithson who described him as "the most naturally gifted and talented architect he'd ever met". He then worked for Basil Spence for five years. He joined Grenfell Baines & Hargreaves in 1959 as Associate Partner to open its first London office; this office initially operated out of Rock's flat in Earls Court. Rock was responsible for BDP London during the 1960s, becoming an Equity Partner in 1964; he resigned in 1971.

Rock went into partnership with John Townsend, an expert on bürolandschaft. In 1972, Rock Townsend opened, what would become, Workspace, which further developed the idea of multidisciplinary working by providing office space for small design businesses.

Rock was a supporter of the radical architecture group Archigram in the 1960s and 1970s. He nominated them for the RIBA Royal Gold Medal which they received in 2002.

He was born in Great Harwood, Blackburn, Lancashire, England and attended Clitheroe Royal Grammar School (1956-1963). He matriculated at St John's College, Cambridge in 1964, where he graduated in 1967. He was awarded an M.A. in 1970 and a Ph.D. in 1971, both at Cambridge University. He worked as a Research Officer at the Centre of Latin American Studies, University of Cambridge in 1970-1974 and as Assistant Secretary at the Institute of Latin American Studies, University of London in London from 1974 to 1977. He moved to the U.S. to teach at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was promoted to Professor in 1980. He retired from university teaching 2014. He married Rosalind Farrar in 1968, with whom he had two sons.

He has been described as a "leading scholar in the field" of 19th and 20-century Argentine history. His history of the country from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries was adjudged as "a comprehensive, clearly written and intelligent account of the evolution of Argentina which will undoubtedly remain the standard work for years to come." Rock's first book, Politics in Argentina, 1890-1930: The Rise and Fall of Radicalism won the Conference on Latin American History Bolton Prize for the best book in English. He is professor emeritus of History at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Rock made his first-class debut for Hampshire in the 1970 County Championship against Surrey. Rock played in three County Championship matches during that season.

In 1977 Rock became a more regular appearer for Hampshire, making his List-A debut against Somerset. Rock made two List-A half centuries during 1977, making his maiden fifty against Middlesex, and his second and final List-A fifty against Gloucestershire. In the County Championship, Rock had his best season, making his maiden century against Leicestershire and following it up with another against Nottinghamshire.

Rock continued to appear for the county in 1978 and 1979, before playing his final first-class match against Kent in the County Championship and his final List-A match against Warwickshire in the John Player League.

In 37 first-class matches for Hampshire Rock scored 1,227 runs at an average of 19.17, with three centuries and four half centuries, with a high score of 114. Rock played eighteen one-day matches for Hampshire, scoring 286 runs at an average of 19.06, with two half centuries and a high score of 68.