Some street elevations showing the design for houses at Poundbury

The Prince of Wales set out with his new village at Poundbury in Dorset to demonstrate that urban design is as relevant today as it had been in the past.  Poundbury has also shown that this can be done today economically and commercially, much as it had always been done in the past.

John Simpson & Partners were commissioned by the Duchy of Cornwall to design some of the key buildings and some of the houses within the village.

The practice has built the first public building within Poundbury on Pummery square. The Brownsword market building, finished in 2000, is the first public building to be built in Dorchester for 150 years.  It forms the centrepiece of the main square of the first phase of development.  It also provides a covered outdoor market area which is used regularly for a variety of uses and is a valuable local resource. The practice has been responsible for the design of residential buildings at Poundbury involving terraced and detached houses arranged around streets and squares, as well as small blocks of apartments.

The designs at Poundbury demonstrate how urban design can give a place lasting character, and an identity which many contemporary housing developments unfortunately lack.