Soofia T. Elias-Ozkan and Françoise Summers

     Since 2002, the Kerkenes Eco-Center hosts research and activities focused on the reduction of energy consumption and improvement of village life. The aim is to secure a sustainable future through the promotion of renewable energy, appropriate building materials and techniques, and water and waste management. The eco-center has been a center of innovation and research working with local villagers and school children, architecture students from the Middle East Tehnical University (METU) and archaeologists studying the remains of the ancient city on the Kerkenes Dag. Most of the research and experimental buildings have been made possible by the close collaboration between the different team members and stakeholders as well as the support of several partners interested in archaeology, ecological architecture, environmental design research or the development of rural areas.

     In 2015, activities at the Eco-Center were conducted by the METU Kerkenes Eco-Center Project team. The construction of the solar-space front of the old Sahmuratli Village School (Fig. 3-4) was supported by local authorities and the Votorantim Cement Factory provided equipment to accommodate students in the newly refurbished school. This provided new facilities and equipment to accommodate larger groups of students taking part in Hands-on activities (Fig. 05). Ongoing research on environmental design, appropriate building materials and techniques, and energy efficiency, as well as educational activities, were funded by a METU BAP grant and generous donations from corporate sponsors. Researchers have used the facilities all year round to monitor the performance of buildings and energy efficiency during each of the four seasons. New experiments on the use of straw-bale and earth plasters were conducted while METU architecture students took part in two Hands-on sessions.

     The purpose of the Kerkenes Eco-Center is to promote sustainability through environmental studies. It pursues the following objectives:

• To advocate the use of renewable sources of energy;
• To act as a stimulus and a catalyst for environment-friendly building with appropriate materials and energy efficient designs;
• To act as a dynamic experimental base for testing designs, materials and activities suitable for viable and sustainable village life.

Acknowledgements

     We thank all those who have taken part in the development of the Kerkenes Eco-Center as well as our generous sponsors, especially AKG Gazbeton, the Erdogan Akdag Foundation, MESA, Votorantim Yozgat Çimento and Yenigün Insaat, without whom much less would have been achieved. We also extend our thanks to the Governor of Yozgat, Vali Abdulkadir Yazici, the Sorgun District Governor, Kaymakam Ali Arslantas, and his predecessor Kaymakam Levent Kiliç, the Sorgun Mayor, Baskan Ahmet Simsek and their staff.