KERKENES
ECO-CENTER
Renewed
support from the Australian Embassy permitted progress of a
planned program of activities during the summer of 2003. A timber-framed
mudbrick unit with a flat mud roof was built on stone foundations
according to traditional techniques (Fig. 18).
Tinytag dataloggers are used to record temperature and relative
humidity to sample the environmental performance of the building
at regular intervals throughout the seasons. Computer simulations
using Ecotect v.5.20 will permit comparisons to be made between
the performance of various alternative building materials. In
the autumn a poster on ‘Comparative Studies of Traditional
and Contemporary Construction in Turkey’ was prepared
for the PLEA (Passive and Low Energy Architecture) 2003 conference
in Santiago, Chile. The ongoing studies are funded by the British
Council Britain-Turkey Partnerships Programme between the METU
Department of Architecture, at Ankara and the Environment and
Energy Studies Programme of the Architectural Association, London.
In addition, a paper entitled ‘The Future of Rural Housing
in Turkey: Back to Earth?’ was presented at the ‘Modern
Earth 2003’ conference in Berlin. Programs launched in
2002 included reuse of grey-water, installation of a simple
drip irrigation scheme, solid waste separation for composting
and recycling, and a study of alternative materials for improved
environmental performance of buildings. The innovative ideas
and practices initiated by the Kerkenes Eco-Center Project,
once firmly established, should become self-supporting and run
largely at a local level, by a Village Association, providing
a model for the development of similar activities in rural areas.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The
General Directorate of Cultural Assets and Museums and, in Yozgat,
Governor Gökhan Sözer, the director of Culture and
Tourism Mustafa Sarıkaya, Museum Director, Erol Özen, Sorgun
District Governor Mustafa Dündar and Mayor Yılmaz
Kılıçarslan gave enthusiastic support. We also
thank Dr. Şevket Bağcı, the Yozgat Köy Hizmetleri,
TEDAŞ and Telekom and the Sorgun Belediye for continuing assistance.
We are deeply indepted to the Muhtar, Ali Erciyes, and people
of Þahmuratlý Village for extending traditional
Anatolian hospitality. The Kerkenes Project is dependent on
its patrons to all of whom we extend our appreciation.