The Eco-Center was founded on the base provided by the Kerkenes Project that started in 1993 as the archaeological survey of an ancient city and is now a well-established multi-disciplinary research project run from the Faculty of Architecture at the Middle East Technical University (METU). The archaeological survey at Kerkenes, directed by Geoffrey Summers and sponsored by the British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara, and the post fieldwork multidisciplinary study carried on in METU, have produced results which have been internationally recognized. Geoffrey Summers was chosen as one of the Associate Laureates of the 2002 Rolex Award for Enterprise:
(http://www.rolexawards.com/laureates/laureate2.jsp?id=0074).

Summer 2002 was when action began... Too much effort and resources are usually spent on feasibility studies and discussions while nothing gets done. The Kerkenes Project decided to start with action and, thanks to a Grant awarded by the Australian Embassy, the first activities of the Kerkenes Eco-Center were initiated during the 2002 summer months. A parallel study of 'Environmental Performance of Buildings', funded by a British Council Partnership grant between the Architectural Association (London) and the Department of Architecture, METU, was an opportunity for students to get involved in activities related to the new Eco-Center venture as case studies were chosen from the village of Sahmuratli.