British prince sees Türkiye's recyclable housing project

By Muhammet Tarhan

ANKARA (AA) - On a visit to Türkiye, British Prince Edward, the younger brother of King Charles, on Wednesday learned about an innovative, award-winning recyclable housing system project.

Edward visited Hacettepe University in the capital Ankara accompanied by UK Ambassador to Türkiye Jill Morris and Gill Caldicott, director of the British Council Türkiye.

The university rector and officials welcomed Edward and his accompanying delegation.

At the university’s Civil Engineering Department, Edward was briefed on the recyclable housing system project, which in 2020 won the international Newton Prize from the Newton-Katip Celebi Fund at the university.

He closely examined the ongoing work on the Green Structural Components with Low-Cost Housing Lego System project, which is being done at the university.

The prince observed the project, which serves as an example of collaborative research between UK and Turkish higher education institutions, and learned about innovative and environmentally friendly construction processes from the project team.

He also spoke with students actively involved in the project who come from earthquake-prone regions.

During the visit, the rector presented Edward with a symbolic sculpture of the university.

He also received from the dean of the Art Faculty an artwork titled The Roses of Muskili Mita.

- Reusable homes for quake zones

A method developed with support from the Newton-Katip Celebi Fund before the devastating Feb. 6 earthquakes in Türkiye was used in the construction of green, low-cost, and reusable homes for quake victims.

This project was carried out in collaboration with Hacettepe University and England’s University of Bradford.

Graduate students from quake-affected cities also helped build the first environmentally friendly building in the earthquake zone.

Since 2014, the Newton-Katip Celebi Fund, in partnership with the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) and the British Council, has aimed to foster and expand academic collaborations in science and technology between the UK and Türkiye.

*Writing by Necva Tastan in Istanbul