Wow! We just received the presentation package on Belek Golf Club from the Owners in Turkey. Mind blowing quality! A red, silk covered book and a DVD. Should be irresistible as I have seen nothing finer, anytime, any place.
John Drake, AIA enabled Guy Butler Architect to win a 2009 Florida American Institute of Architects Award of Excellence for Africa Windmill Project.
The actual windmill project was built in March 2009 when John Drake, vice president with GBA and Bill Salter, Senior Design Architect with GBA, went to Malawi Africa with two friends to build a windmill in the Village of Mgwayi. The windmill was designed to be built out of locally found materials in a rural village to irrigate crops during the region’s punishing eight month dry season.
The idea for a sustainable windmill for the small farmer was conceived when John was in Malawi, Africa a year and a half ago, and noticed remote farming villages had hand-dug wells, with no means of pumping water. During a drought Malawi does not produce enough food to support its population; 94% of farms rely on the natural three-month rainy season, which only allows one growing season per year. Farmers, with Malawi’s temperate climate and the means to ‘pump’ water for crop irrigation, would have the opportunity to produce crops year round regardless of droughts. Modern irrigation equipment is too expensive for villagers and impossible to maintain, since they do not have tools or training. Most agriculture in Malawi is composed of individual subsistence farmers with small one acre farms.
The design solution evolved over a year and a half of trial and error and is based upon the panemone windmill (500AD Persia) connected to a rope and washer pump. This enables crop irrigation and only utilizes materials that are readily available in Malawi to the common farmer. The windmill is made of a main wood post, bamboo, wire, grain sacks, and two stones for the main bearing; and the pump is made of rope, bottle caps, hand-cut rubber washers (out of used bicycle tubes), and PVC thin walled pipe. The total cost for the windmill if all the parts are bought is $40 US dollars and it could irrigate a minimum of ¼ acre which yields $100-$125 US dollars at harvest, so within the first harvest the rural farmer will be able to make a profit. Sustainable irrigation will stabilize the region of Southern Africa’s food supply which is a matter of Life and Death in Malawi.
Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, is one of the most vibrant cities in Europe. The last ten years of peace have displaced the follies of “troubles” with a tight urban fabric of shops, bars, restaurants, hotels and very friendly people.
As a natural crossing place of the river, Belfast has always been confined within the Lagan Valley and the hills on either side. Today, the city still does not stray too far from the bottom of that valley and clever planning has created long view corridors for the visitor to appreciate the green hills over the roofs of the architecture, most of which is still under 7 storeys and created during Belfast’s growth in Georgian and Victorian times.
But, the most exciting surprise greeting my return to Belfast after 35 years was the Belfast Metro tee-shirt given to me and my family by the Architect, Arthur Acheson. Yes, a Metro, an Underground, a Subway, under the streets of Belfast. First thoughts were, “No way! Belfast is too compact! What about the sleech? Is traffic really that bad?”
I forgot who I was talking to. Arthur Acheson is one of those rare souls who sees every question as a way to create an answer; every problem as a way to stimulate a solution. I swear, if Arthur had been around at other times in history, he would have been the one to invent electricity or perhaps the jet engine. A latter day Ben Franklin, he is thinking, thinking, thinking all the time. We went to school together so I knew enough to sit back and let Arthur answer my doubting questions.
Arthur Acheson’s plan to build a Metro system under Belfast could be the blueprint for all cities interested in preparing for the future. To get my initial questions out of the way in short order I was told:
“Belfast too compact? Less Metro to build and open sooner!”
“What about the sleech, a soupy sub-soil that has always affected Belfast structures? Other cities planned around rivers, such as London and Paris, have subway systems.”
“Is traffic that bad? Just wait, it will be. The new Titanic Quarter seems to have one way in and no way out. A traffic nightmare waiting for all the residents to move in.”
The real magic about the Belfast Metro is how Arthur proposes the financing for the $600 million scheme. He suggests bartering development rights with developers to allow them greater density if they pay for the leg before and the leg after their planned developments. This is not a new idea. Quite a few large North American cities ask developers to foot the bill for subterranean transportation so that people can move around in the severe winters. Arthur was a professor at McGill University in Montreal. Coincidence, I think not. In fact to look over the skyline of Toronto, identifies the RT stations as clusters of growth.
Belfast hasn’t yet bought into the Metro proposal. Very few cities would until the traffic situation gets so bad that an irate public demands it. However, the opportunity of using development to put the infrastructure in place cannot happen early enough because surface traffic, with its associated pollution, traffic jams, lost time and tempers simply cannot compare to the clean and quiet way people move around with new, clean technology; Singapore would be a great point of reference.
I will be wearing my new Belfast Metro tee-shirt with pride and in the hope that 100 years from now, for more than any other reason Belfast will be remembered for showing the World the way to leap forward in clean transportation.
The Clubhouse at Belek Golf Club is the social heart of the Resort and from the opening day will be a well-appointed, 30,000 s.f. building. As the residential units will be introduced in six phases, rather than a continuous remodel of the initial Clubhouse, GBA chose to introduce a peripheral Village, called the Galleria, which expands to add restaurants and shops as the population of the Resort grows with time.
The Resort side of The Hub coordinates the electric vehicle and waterway transportation which service the entire resort.
Adjacent to The Hub are The Galleria Shops with the Pomegranate Hotel above. The center of The Galleria features some of the largest social spaces for guests. Open-air restaurants and the Shops with converging alleyways provide intimate places for guests to gather.
The Boat Basin, which is prominently in the center, makes the unique waterway transportation system fun as well as functional. With the perimeter resort’s canal system, guests can access the center plaza by water thereby contributing to the constant motion and life of the plaza. The plaza is designed as a public square with outdoor café seating, street performers, and a stage venue for larger evening performances and provides for an outdoor living room experience in which resort guests are invited and encouraged to participate in the ‘social theatre’ of the resort.
To bring the feel of Turkey to international visitors, The Galleria Shops provide a sense of discovery and adventure with their narrow streets and winding pathways. This is where you will find boutique shops for fabrics, artwork, Turkish coffees and cakes, street performers, and a stage venue for larger evening performances.
The Galleria Village is composed of small individual buildings on the perimeter of a circular arcade that encloses the central plaza. This arrangement integrates the buildings with their surroundings to support the street as a place for pedestrians and provide users with a sense of discovery.
With the combination of retail on the first floor with guest rooms above, a mixed-use density typical of a European village is created. The buildings’ use of overhangs, balconies, offsets, and fountains create interesting spaces for guest to explore, sit, and relax with food and beverage. The Galleria Village provides a full range of services within walking distance of the residences, such as deli’s, bakeries, neighborhood grocery, coffee and tea house, florist, wine and spirits, featured artists’ studios and other diverse retail.
Belek Golf Club strives to create a Mediterranean-Ottoman village environment designed for the luxurious comfort and diverse enjoyment of its guests. From large public buildings to small cottages, each has been designed by GBA with attention to every detail.
The flat 840 acre property has been transformed into “green” wetland areas and rolling terrain with cliff side castles. The sustainable use of energy has been a major consideration in every aspect of the design, especially by use of electric vehicles and waterway transportation.
The Master Plan, by EDSA Ft. Lauderdale, shows the massive scope of the project. The golf course is the centerpiece with 24 Castle Villas featured on a hill within the southerly loop. Multi-family residential will surround the golf course on all sides.
Designed to be “green” from the beginning, visitors leave their cars at the entrance underground parking. Automobile use is restricted within the Resort. Sustainable, environmentally friendly modes of transportation are encouraged as alternates. As guests and residents arrive, they are provided with their own personal electric vehicle (NEV) that allows them access throughout the resort. A network of canals provide alternative means of circulation by ferry boat. In addition, pedestrian and bicycle paths allow active guests to explore and reach their destinations, or just exercise.
To maintain water quality, Cloward H2O has designated the golf course as home to wetland areas which aerate continuously circulating water through aquatic plants.
This resort’s unique geographic location on the Mediterranean Sea makes it a popular leisure destination for the wealthy Middle East, the upper crust of Europe, and the oligarch wealth of Russia.
The style has to appeal to buyers from all of these diverse cultures and still reflect the rich traditions of Turkey. The traditional architectural details blend all of these styles to create a look that is new and old, all at the same time.
Scottsdale, Ariz. – Troon Golf,® the leader in upscale golf course management, development and marketing is pleased to announce it has been selected to manage Belek Golf Club in Belek, Turkey.
Designed by two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal, the course at Belek Golf Club is scheduled to be completed during the project’s first phase in late 2011. The initial phase will also include a 50,000 sq.-ft. clubhouse offering a golf shop, two restaurants, meetings rooms, private dining rooms, locker rooms, and a cocktail terrace for special events.
“Belek Golf Club marks Troon Golf’s first managed facility in Turkey,” stated Bruce Glasco, Troon Golf’s senior vice president & managing director, Europe, Africa & Middle East. “This is an exciting addition and we are confident that by utilizing our experience and expertise, we will bring a high level of success to the entire development.”
According to KPMG’s recent survey of 80 golf tour operators, Turkey is expected to be the third “hot spot” for golf tourism behind Portugal and Spain. The Belek region already has 17 golf courses and dozens of four- and five-star hotels and entertainment venues.
“Belek Golf Club is intending to appeal to people seeking an environment embroidered in finer details and superior service,” stated Hasan Besneli, chairman of the board, Belek Golf Club. “Troon Golf, in our opinion, is a perfect fit.”
Belek Golf Club also includes a luxurious hotel and a residential resort featuring spa and fitness services, two pools, beach club, and a town center called Galleria. The project will create a unique Mediterranean village environment designed for the comfort and enjoyment of pedestrians. Within the town center, residents and guests will enjoy additional dining and shopping options with Mediterranean and Ottoman flavors.
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Troon Golf is the world’s largest golf management company, overseeing operations at more than 200 courses located in 31 states and 31 countries. Additionally, 38 Troon Golf facilities enjoy a Top 100 ranking by national or international publications. Troon Golf properties include Oneida Golf and Country Club , Green Bay, Wis.; Troon North Golf Club , Scottsdale, Ariz.; The Club at St. James Plantation , Southport, N.C.; Classic Club , Palm Desert, Calif.; Roco Ki , Punta Macao, Dominican Republic; and The Grove , London, England.
