Analysing value creation in social housing construction in remote communities – application to Nunavik (Canada)
Built Environment Project and Asset Management
ISSN: 2044-124X
Article publication date: 19 September 2022
Issue publication date: 21 June 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Remote and isolated indigenous communities in Nunavik (Canada) currently face a number of housing related challenges. This paper proposes a conceptual framework to identify the factors affecting value creation within the supply chain of social housing construction in that region. The term “social” refers to the fact that governments subsidise construction and operation of these buildings intended for low-income households.
Design/methodology/approach
The research used a literature review and information collected from 3 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders to identify the desired features of improvement or solutions (e.g. prefabrication) with respect to value creation. A SWOT analysis, an influence/dependence map and a causal loop diagram were developed to represent the supply chain.
Findings
Local job creation and the number of buildings to build were identified as the key factors that can roughly represent value creation. Energy resources, construction time, type and amount of labour force, shipping constraints, number of replacement parts and waste disposal were identified as the main factors constraining the range of solutions to implement.
Practical implications
The framework can be used to support the decision-making in supply chain management and the design of solutions for remote areas such as Nunavik.
Originality/value
This paper is the first to analyse value creation in social building construction in remote and isolated communities such as those from Nunavik. Conceptual models achieved within the framework allowed identifying the factors that could roughly represent this value creation, as well as logical relationships that link them with other factors.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The present work is part of a project entitled “Development of prefabricated solutions for the heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems for high-performance arctic buildings”, funded by Sentinel North, a major research initiative funded by Canada First Research Excellence Fund. Likewise, the authors would like to thank Société d’Habitation du Québec (SHQ) and Makivik Corporation for their valuable participation during the interviews and subsequent communications.
Citation
Suárez, J.L., Gosselin, L. and Lehoux, N. (2023), "Analysing value creation in social housing construction in remote communities – application to Nunavik (Canada)", Built Environment Project and Asset Management, Vol. 13 No. 4, pp. 493-508. https://doi.org/10.1108/BEPAM-11-2021-0138
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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