The husband and wife team Glen Mattock and Clare Townley chose to convert an old barn into the most environmentally friendly building possible - even though it would be at huge cost to themselves.
The result, The Melting Pot, was a complex fitted with solar panels, a biomass boiler and state of the art insulation which provides nearly 30 per cent of the company's energy
And judges at the Courier's Community and Environment Awards were so impressed, they named the building, on White Hart Fold, Todmorden, Best Environmental Design, sponsored by Southdale Homes.
Ms Townley said: "We have both been aware of the environmental responsibilities of individuals for a long time and we decided this conversion would be worth the cost - not only in terms of being green but also in that, in the long run, it will vastly cut our bills.
"Now we provide much of our own energy and we live in walking distance of the building so it's really helped cut our carbon footprint."
The judges called the conversion breathtaking.