AREA · Zekeriyaköy
Building in Zekeriyaköy: Ground-Up Homes and Turnkey Villas
Zekeriyaköy is the forest-edge part of Sarıyer: large plots, mature trees and a settlement made up almost entirely of villas. Work here usually arrives in one of two forms, a turnkey villa on a serviced plot inside a gated compound, or ground-up housing on a detached plot. In both cases the land itself and the rules of the neighbourhood matter as much as the architecture.
Families who move here from the city generally plan to stay for a long time, and that changes the brief. A house in Zekeriyaköy is not a quick apartment refit but a building meant for decades of use, so insulation detailing, the heating system and the outdoor spaces are chosen with that horizon from day one.
How do compound rules and neighbours shape the site?
Most villa compounds in Zekeriyaköy run on their own management rules: working hours, when trucks may enter, where materials can be stored, which days noisy work is permitted. We build the programme around those rules, and in the first week our site manager agrees access, debris removal and parking with the compound management in writing. In winter, rain and ice on the sloped access roads can delay concrete and delivery trucks, so sequencing the structural work by season saves real time.
Ground and foundations on a sloped forest-edge plot
Most plots along the forest boundary slope, and some carry a history of fill. You cannot choose a foundation type without a soil survey: depending on the report a raft foundation may be enough, or piled foundations and a retaining wall may be required. Where excavation water and surface run-off from the slope are directed is as much a part of the design as the building itself.
- Raft or piled foundation selected according to the soil survey report
- Retaining wall on the uphill side with a drainage layer behind it
- Safe excavation slopes and protection of the neighbouring plot boundary
- Waterproofing and a protective wall on the basement retaining walls
- Surface water collected and discharged off the plot in a controlled way
Can mature trees and landscape survive the build?
Much of Zekeriyaköy's value sits in its mature pines and oaks, and there is no shortcut for replacing a thirty-year-old tree. We mark the trees that must stay before work begins and protect the trunk and root zone. Crane position, scaffolding line and material storage are then planned around them. That was the sequence on the Meşe Korusu housing scheme and on our detached villa at the forest edge: tree and level survey first, layout second.
Frequently asked questions
What permissions does the compound management require before construction?
Most villa compounds ask for the approved project to be submitted to the management and for a site undertaking to be signed before work starts. Working hours, truck access days, material storage areas, use of common areas and end-of-works cleaning are usually put in writing, and some compounds also ask for a deposit. We hold that meeting as soon as the contract is signed and build the programme around it.
Will the trees on my plot have to be cut down?
Usually not. When the layout is set around the existing trees, the building footprint and the excavation zone can be kept outside the root zone of mature specimens. Any tree that would need to be felled or relocated requires permission from the relevant authority, and we do not touch a tree without it. Trees that stay are wrapped at the trunk, and no vehicles or materials enter the root zone.
Can a site keep working through the Zekeriyaköy winter?
Yes, but the programme has to be arranged around the season. Ice and heavy rain on the sloped access roads make concrete pours and large deliveries difficult, so we push excavation, foundations and structural work into spring and autumn wherever possible. Once the roof is closed we use the winter months for internal works, mechanical and electrical installations and finishes.
Why does the room-by-room specification matter so much in a turnkey villa?
The room-by-room specification records which material, at which quality, goes into each space: floor finishes, joinery, sanitary fittings, the kitchen and the heating system are all defined there. A price quoted before that list is settled stays open to argument months later. Once the specification is tied to the interim payment stages, both the value of the work done and the scope of the next payment become predictable for both sides.
We know the area, and we know the work
Send us the location of your plot or building and we will come and look at it.