ABSTRACT
This chapter reconstructs David Boswell Reid’s ventilation system for House of Commons, and retraces its development from 1847 to 1852. The breakdown of Reid and Charles Barry’s working relationship in 1846 was a major incision, both physically and operationally. In addition to reducing his level of involvement to the House of Commons, MPs considered operational changes to address previous problems of collaboration between Reid and Barry. Reid’s ventilation system for the House of Commons was developed and implemented between May 1847 and February 1852. During this period, the plans for the system underwent several modifications and the design of some of its important features, such as the air supply for the ceiling inlets, was to be the outcome of intense negotiations between Reid, Barry and the Office of Woods. Reid’s adoption of a decentralised approach to stack ventilation made the Central Tower obsolete, and its design and function was to be the subject of long discussions lasting over 12 months.
