Technological transitions in climate control: lessons from the House of Lords

Abstract

Mechanical air-conditioning is only a relatively recent development in countries with moderate temperate climates. It was preceded by earlier, less energy-intensive methods of climate control. These methods were deployed in British public buildings from the 1830s until the mid-20th century, when heritage buildings began to be adapted for air-conditioning. The 19th-century methods for providing thermal comfort are examined within the debating chamber of the House of Lords (part the Houses of Parliament in London, UK). This was equipped with facilities for ventilation, cooling, heating, humidification and air purification. These facilities, introduced in 1854, were in use for 112 years. This example shows the idea that thermal comfort is a cultural practice, which was not independent from the particular technologies or social contexts, but substantively shaped by them. This long operational history provides a basis for critical insights into their performance and operation, and also illuminates the cultural and technical factors leading to their substitution with air-conditioning in 1966.