GAD Architecture recently unveiled plans for Ahk Kundu, a beautiful and modern beacon of green development in Antalya, Turkey. Located near a major tourist zone on the Mediterranean coast, the 170-acre housing complex comprises solar-powered residential units with sculptural timber facades that maximize sun exposure and natural ventilation. The energy-efficient project emphasizes pedestrian-friendly principles by relocating motorized traffic below ground and offering public transit that conveniently whisks every resident from their private carport to their home.Antalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey, and according to a 2013 poll on tourism around the world, is the most frequently visited touristic city after Paris and London. The project site is located in Kundu, near an area with great potential for tourism, with a distance of 20 km to the city center, and 12 km to the Antalya Airport. Antalya’s seaside is highly active, with many five-star hotels and residential buildings along its coast.The project aims to work with nature with design principles of sustainability. Each housing unit includes photovoltaic panels for the production of energy, with housing units oriented so that maximum sun exposure can be benefited from efficiently. The general masterplan has the housing units arranged in a South-North direction for this reason. All openings of the units are designed in accordance with the principals for natural ventilation. Total sustainable design strategy consists of the following: natural ventilation through strategic openings, maximum daylight usage and capturing due to the shape of the floorplan, sunlight collection and control as a renewable energy source, plus a green and public space for social-sustainability use.The exterior timber cladding design acts as a shell for the housing units. It helps to balance the quality of daylight inside the unit, and controls the interior climate at night. A green environment for the ground plane of the project site allows for free circulation of pedestrians. Each housing unit has its own garage and cars will only be provided underground access in order to fully create a space that blends into the nature surrounding it. The project includes 17 large, 56 medium, and 50 small housing units.