Since its founding in 1953 Torti Gallas and Partners Inc., has been responsible for the planning and design of more than $35 billion of construction, including many award winning Master Planning and Residential Regeneration Projects. Anahtar Projects, an urban regeneration consultancy firm and mediator has successfully transformed more than 50 buildings in 2 years.  Now, Torti Gallas and Anahtar Projects are combining their forces for better and sustainable urban regenerations in Turkey.  Their goal is not only to design ecologically sustainable neighborhoods, but also to achieve socially and economically strong communities.  Such an holistic approach will create better communities, neighborhoods, towns and cities.

On February 24th 2016, Torti Gallas and Anahtar Projects hosted a breakfast event for colleagues and real estate journalists in Taksim CVK Hotel where they announced their collaboration to transform Turkish communities.

“Affordable Housing For Medium and Low Income Families is Our Number One Priority”

Mr. Arif Murat Kökbudak, a member of the Board of Directors of Anahtar Projects, indicated that last year alone 92,833 residential buildings were identified as “at risk”.  According to the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning, there are 14 million residential units in Turkey that are at risk of disaster.  6.7 million of these will be rebuilt and transformed in the next 20 years under the new earthquake safety law 6306: Law for the Regeneration of Areas Under Disaster Risk.  In other words, Turkey needs to replace 334,000 at risk residential units with safer ones every year for the next 20 years.  The success of typical building-based regeneration projects depends on how much house the homeowners get versus the builder/contractor’s return on investment.  This is not easily settled, as the builder/contractor finances the construction costs for a minimum of three years. He will then take some new units in return leaving smaller units available to homeowners.  Ultimately, this makes the process longer and more unpleasant for all parties.  “It is our job to talk to homeowners and the builder/contractor and mitigate the terms of the transaction. “  said Mr. Arif  Murat Kökbudak.  He also added that the collaboration with Torti Gallas and Partners, one of the world’s most successful regeneration firms, will not only transform buildings, but will also help to generate local social and economic growth.