Sustainable housing in Istanbul

Demand for sustainable housing increases
Friday, June 13, 2008
MELTEM KARAISTANBUL – Hürriyet

The number of construction projects in the country seeking harmony with nature and offering a sustainable lifestyle with more efficient energy and water usage is gradually increasing.

The new projects include the Doğan subsidiary Milpa Group's Milpark Konutları in Istanbul's Esenyurt district; Propa İnşaat's Sarıyer Park; Soyak's Mavişehir project; A-Z Yapı's Meritlife Kent; Doğa Real Estate Agency's Emirgan Evleri, Selenium Country and Doğa Meşepark projects; Teknik Yapı's Dilman Towers; and Sinpaş's Lagün project.

Thanks to savings of 250,000 tons of water a day, the Milpark Konutları project could save as much as 50 percent in water consumption annually. Meanwhile, Propa İnşaat has installed solar panels in its Sarıyer Park project to increase energy savings while still creating a luminous atmosphere in the building. Additionally Turkish construction company Soyak has implemented an insulation system and double insulated glass panes in its Mavişehir project. Turkish construction company A-Z Yapı distinguishes domestic solid waste such as paper, plastic, glass, tin from biological waste.

Companies are showing concern about the future of natural resources because 30 percent of the country's resources have been exhausted in the last 30 years, posing a threat to the future of construction sector because of the industry's heavy reliance on natural resources. It is, therefore, expected that the issue of environmental sustainability will show up much more frequently in new construction projects.

Sustainable housing

Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment, ensuring that these needs can be met not only in the present but also into the future. The sector requires more financing to construct sustainable housing projects due to the higher price of materials, infrastructure costs and the land-use ratio. It is estimated, however, that the high cost of sustainable housing construction will decline in line with a rise in the number of such projects.

Many consumers are becoming conscious of the dire situation of the environment, and are showing an increasing preference for purchasing sustainable houses. Sustainable housing reduces costs and water usage, and offers improved security.

Meanwhile, housing investors, though willing to launch nature-sensitive projects, are a bit hesitant about the future of the sustainable housing sector given the high costs associated with it.

http://turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=107127