Appearances can be deceiving! Wheelworth House is a private home, designed specifically to fit into the the Hovingham Conservation Area and to complement the listed building that it stands next to. The house is situated on the edge of historic parkland that forms the dramatic vistas to the western approach of Hovingham Hall and Hovingham Village. Great care has been taken to carefully proportion the design and to find the correct materials for this house. The local vernacular and character in Hovingham is distinctive and contributes to its status as one of the best villages in England in which to live. However, this house has its secrets. Although designed in a vernacular style, it is a highly energy efficient home designed over four floors. Due to the location and no natural gas supply, this house is heated by a biomass boiler. This heating system, along with high levels of insulation, excellent build quality and the resulting air tightness, means the day to day energy requirements are very low. From the front you would assume that the house is only two storeys, in fact the house is over four storeys. With a full basement and accessible attic rooms, this house has maximised a relatively small plot to provide a significant floor area. The basement, with its full height space, is dry and ventilated. With some borrowed light, it is perfect for office, cinema, exercise and storage uses. The attic suite has provided two additional bedrooms with a shared bathroom. In the middle of the house there is a beautifully crafted staircase that starts at basement level and rises through the house to the attic. Careful design has made this area of the house an impressive space. This house, along with many other farmhouses we have designed, achieved planning permission with little to no difficulty. The client is delighted with Wheelworth House and it is a pleasure to see how much it is enjoyed as a living space. Since this house was built the client has commissioned us to undertake a large commercial project during 2015.