Local cultural styles to inspire new state housing projects

Often referred to as the "locomotive" of the Turkish economy, the construction sector grew massively last decade, especially after the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) came to power after 2002. Massive housing, office and shopping mall construction have taken place all over Turkey, especially in metropolises. The sector has been boosted both by private corporations and state-run institutions. One of these state-run institutions, the Housing Development Administration, also referred to as TOKİ, made a great contribution to the development of the construction sector.

Even though TOKİ is known as an institution that aims to provide housing projects for low-income people with its easy payment methods, it has also become a prominent actor in urbanization processes across the country pioneered by the government, particularly to create earthquake resistant buildings.

Although the public has credited TOKİ's efforts, it has also drawn criticism for lacking architectural and aesthetic qualities. Now, TOKİ is taking a new step in its policy and decided to focus on constructing houses with architectural designs combined with the traditional patterns of cities.

Speaking to the Anadolu Agency reporter, Mehmet Ergün Turan, the head of the Housing Development Administration (TOKİ), has said that demands for housing have changed over the last 10 years. TOKİ is planning to focus on different architectural designs combined with the traditional pattern of cities.

Turan told that TOKİ constructed a total of 649,000 buildings from 2002 to 2015, breaking a record in the real estate industry. Currently, almost 3.3 million people reside in these buildings. He said the institution offers high-quality housing in a number that surpasses the population of certain European countries.

Eighty-five percent of TOKİ-built buildings target middle income and poor families, Turan said, adding that the institution will construct 50,000 buildings throughout the year. Forty percent of the new buildings will be funded as part of urban transformation projects.

Turan said TOKİ has changed its architectural design concept recently and comes up with a different approach to reflect a city's culture for housing projects. "We do not consider our project merely as a housing opportunity, but want to create a living space for people. We will include traditional Turkish motifs in our projects. TOKİ has advanced to a higher stage by designing living spaces where the streets and squares have a specific culture and residents and shop owners live together in harmony," he said.

Principally, TOKİ will not build a city's tallest buildings, Turan added, highlighting the importance of horizontal architecture as a general practice. "Green areas are diminished when horizontal buildings increase some say. However, that is wrong. We are against vertical architecture in city centers," he said. TOKİ will increase living spaces with low-rise buildings. "We have worked with this aim for the last six months. Our projects harmonize traditions with the future."

Turan said their team would prepare custom-made projects for each city. Pointing to the rich source of stones in Turkey, Turan said that TOKİ would use natural stones in upcoming projects. "An exemplary project is going on in Nevşehir's Cappadocia region featuring 923 social buildings. We have built three-story buildings using domestic stones," he said. Another project has been developed in Mardin reflecting the city's unique patterns. There will also be other projects in Kars, Bursa, Manisa and Çorum.

Turan said that their foremost priority is middle income and poor families and urban transformation projects have a big role in this regard. TOKİ has also implemented projects in Pakistan, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. "Our Somalia-based project includes 10,000 houses. In the medium and short terms the institution will broaden its projects abroad. We are willing to transfer our experience abroad."