Saturday, 14 May 2011

Central Heating in Soho House

The industrial pioneer Matthew Boulton was always eager to try out novel inventions. His partner james watt used a metal box radiator for warming up his office, similar kind of device mathew used in the manufactory and later in his bathroom. Later on they realized that warm air had more success than steam .  In which air was passed over the external  surface of the cockle before rising in ducts to the room to be heated. Therefore, Boulton used this system when redesigning the Soho House. A specially designed furnace was built in the basement which heated the air using coal , this heated air was then circulated through specially built ducts in into brick, underneath the wooden floors of rooms and stairs. This system was designed by James Watt.
He was really ahead of his time as had an indoor flushing toilet and steam heated bath was also made in SOHO house – as this comfort was not common in Britain homes till the 20th century.



Wall plaque with details of furnace heating system.

  Outlet openings for hot air in staircase risers.

Cut-away section of wall showing vertical hot air duct within the building structure

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