A tentative master plan for ventilating the Palace of Westminster

The Palace of Westminster's ventilation system, designed by David Boswell Reid between 1840 and 1842, marked a significant transition from isolated experimentation to practical application. Reid's innovative approach, adopted after initial reservations by architect Charles Barry, integrated his earlier research findings into the palace's design. Using Barry's original architectural drawings, Reid developed an outline for a ventilation system that moved away from individual chimneys, setting a precedent for large-scale building services engineering. This tentative master plan laid the groundwork for a more efficient and cohesive ventilation strategy in one of the UK's most iconic UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Schoenefeldt, H. (2020). A tentative master plan for ventilating the Palace of Westminster. Rebuilding the Houses of Parliament, 77–102. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315182803-7