Soofia T. Elias-Ozkan and Françoise Summers

     Since 2002, the Kerkenes Eco-Center hosts research and activities focused on sustainable practices to reduce energy consumption and improve village life for a sustainable future (Fig. 3). The aim is to promote the use of renewable energy, appropriate building materials with low embodied energies and minimal CO2 emission. The Kerkenes Eco-center has been a center of innovation and research giving opportunities to local villagers, school children, architecture students and instructors from the Middle East Technical University (METU) to work together. Most of the research and experimental buildings are the fruit of close collaboration between 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.

     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.
• To support the income creating activities for rural development, in order to stop and reverse the migration from rural to urban areas.

Acknowledgements

     The project is hosted by the Faculty of Architecture of the Middle East Technical University and funds are channeled through the METU Development Foundation. The main sponsors for the 2018 activities of the Kerkenes Eco-Center Project were Votorantim Cimentos, Yenigün Insaat and the Erdogan Akdag Foundation for Education and Culture. We welcomed students and faculty members from METU and AGU for Hands-on sessions at Kerkenes and all those who participated for their enthusiasm.
     We also thank all those who have taken part in the development of the Kerkenes Eco- Center since 2002 as well as our generous sponsors, especially AKG Gazbeton, the Erdogan Akdag Foundation for Education and Culture, MESA, Votorantim Yozgat Çimento and Yenigün Insaat, without whom much less would have been achieved. We also extend our thanks to the Governors of Yozgat, the Governors of Sorgun district, the Sorgun Mayors and their staff who over the years have never failed to support the project. Finally we thank the village of Sahmuratli for its continuing hospitality (Figs 1 and 2).