Melville Dunbar was the team leader and co-author of one of the most widely respected and well-used design guides - the Essex Design Guide. Since it was introduced, design guides have become extensively employed by local planning authorities to inspire innovative design and raise the standard of development proposals.

The practice has prepared numerous design guides on subjects ranging from agricultural buildings to the physical planning standards for new housing and the design of residential roads, parking and services.


Projects

Cork County Council, Planning Guidance and Standards Series No. 2 MAKING PLACES: A design guide for residential estate development
The practice was commissioned by Cork County Council in Ireland to prepare a design guide which is intended to apply to new housing estates of a net density of 20 dwellings per hectare or above. It complements the County Council's Rural Design Guide i.e. No. 1 in the series, for houses in countryside or dwellings in villages.

The purpose of the guide is primarily to assist developers improve their approach to the creation of quality living environments. Notably, the guide contains a number of Case Studies to demonstrate the application of fundamental urban design objectives. In addition, it is used by development control officers to assess planning applications.
For the latest information on the guide.

A Design Guide for Residential Areas, Essex County Council
The Broads, Authority Broads Design Guidance - Agricultural buildings
East Anglia Tourist Board, Towards a Design Guide for Coastal Static Caravan Parks
Isle of Man Government, Planning Circular 3/91 Guide to the Design of Residential Development in the Countryside
A Design Guide for Residential Areas - Highway Standards
Manx - A Guide to the Design of Residential Roads, Footpaths, Parking and Services