Expert article
Edit 03 December 2021
by MARTHA GIANNAKOPOULOU

Ghent Knapt Op: Construction during Covid-19

wood
wood
As in most countries globally, commodity prices for building materials have risen in recent months. Anyone who is building or renovating has already seen it in the offer or felt in its budget. The worldwide scarcity of building materials has led to a higher material price and longer delivery times. But what is the impact of those material prices on a construction or renovation project?


Ghent Knapt Op project is in the process of renovating 84 houses for vulnerable families living in Ghent and transforming them into healthier, safer and more energy efficient homes. The importance of dignified, safe and secure housing has been starkly highlighted during last year’s Covid-19 pandemic, during which most Europeans have been ‘home-bound’, restricted to their apartments, flats or houses for large parts of the year. At the same time, the Covid-19 pandemic has plunged the construction sector into one of the most challenging times in its history.

As countries across the globe introduced lockdowns and other restrictions, the pace of change for construction has been extreme, with many working processes and guidelines changing overnight. This article comes at a challenging time, where Ghent has experienced already two major lockdowns since March while being at an extremely tight time pressure of delivering house renovations to more than 300 participants involved in the project. 

 

A house worth 300,000 euros will become about 10,300 euros more expensive due to the price increase in building materials.  Marc Dillen, Director General Flemish Construction Confederation 

Price increase and material Availability

price

The pandemic has severely disrupted international trade, causing a sharp rise in the price of certain building materials and an explosion in transport costs. According to the new index I-2021 of construction materials, the price increase averaged 6.4% between November 2020 and April 2021, but for certain wood or steel-based materials, prices increased exponentially due to tensions in the global commodities market.

Also, a characteristic example of price increase an OSB plate which cost 7.99 euros last year now costs 19.99 euros by that is more than 200% increase. Umut Fisek, Architect in charge, Domus Mundi

Ghent Knapt Op has faced this problem at heart as material cost have changed exponentially during construction creating immense complications during the process. In particular the price increase was so large that PVC and construction wood raw material costs 30% more than last year for the contractors. This caused an almost 10% increase in construction cost for the 84 homes that are being renovated. The renovation plan and cost was revisited by the Ghent knapt Op team in order to address the challenge ahead. Although the project awards 30,000 Euros per household for renovation costs, in many cases that budget changed up to 35,000 euros. So what did Ghent Knapt Op do?

If the household renovation plan and construction contract was already agreed and signed prior to the market changes, the construction cost was absorbed by the contractor. If that was not the case then the renovation plan was revisited and changes could occur in taking out smaller works that did not affect the serious technical issues of the house. If that could not be done due to larger technical issues of a particular case, then renovation premiums unlocked by the other renovation works are used to cover the additional costs due to the price increases.

Apart though from price increases construction also dealt with material shortages and delays. Globally, the sector has been confronted with serious supply problems and with long delays – as far as the deadlines are known – of several weeks or maybe months. Such as plastic products, construction woods, metal components. This affected Ghent Knapt Op mostly for the roof works and carpentry works. Some companies were not able to provide windows and doors on time.

I was in charge for 17 home renovations. Roof contractors were not able to receive their ordered woods for the roof construction. We had to wait three more weeks to receive the order. We had to stop renovation because of this. When they received it, the price was higher than when it was ordered. As a result, it also caused financial sustainability issues for the contractor. In another case a carpentry work was schedule for September. Delivery time of this work is now postponed for January 2022 due to PVC shortages. Umut Fisek, Architect in charge, Domus Mundi

The Butterfly effect:

As the construction sector has been struggling with rising prices and a shortage of building materials as well as full lockdowns due to the pandemic, the Ghent Knapt Op renovation wave has faced a serious of challenges as an affect. Initially house visits for technical screenings, cost appraisals as well as planned renovations were not able to be conducted as lockdowns were on affect. The lockdowns delayed the planned renovations that were also postponed. This caused shifts on the project planning as contractors were not able to provide service on time because they were already fully booked.

Lockdowns also brought employment and uncertainty to participants. On one hand technical unemployment was created as architects and engineers from DomusMundi (NGO supporting the renovations) stopped working for 2 months and for 1.5 years have been working mainly home based thus not being able to provide as much feedback to colleagues and project beneficiaries in person as they could normally do.

On the other hand, many project beneficiaries also faced unemployment or dramatic income reduction, or working from home. This resulted for a lot of them in having to stay home during all the construction works (instead of being at work), which is very uncomfortable and can have an impact on the mental state of the participants. Apart from lack of income many faced also health challenges. As the pandemic was spreading, out of the 17 cases that Umut Fisek dealt with, almost 30% of the participants got infected by Covid-19 somewhere along the way. Once one or more family members were infected, all house visits, cost appraisals, construction works, etc. had to stop.

City of Gent (OCMW) provided temporary housing for some clients during the renovation process. This temporary housing options are tightly scheduled due to excessive demand. One of the clients got Covid-19 just before moving into the temporary housing. They had to stay under quarantine which caused us some weeks of delay for the renovation but also for the family that needed the temporary housing after them. Umut Fisek, Architect in charge, Domus Mundi

Despite challenges in 2021, Ghent Knapt Op has continued to work round the clock with project participants and partners to improve houses in the city of Ghent and will successfully deliver almost all 84 renovations by March 2022. The pandemic has triggered reflection on the vital role of housing but also renewed understanding of the social support and assistance needed for vulnerable citizens during this time.

Ghent Knapt Op managed to finalize 38 renovations so far.

 

 

Share

Other news from this project

exhibition

Ghent Knapt Op Journal 4: final updates and new beginnings for Ghent’s housing renovation project

After almost 4 years of intensive work and challenging times, Ghent Knapt Op came to a successful end in spring 2022. The project started in 2019 as a...

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium

Affordable housing
Meeting

Ghent Knapt Op ends but renovation stories continue

Although Ghent Knapt Op has come to an end, many participants continue to take on house renovations. Ghent Knapt Op has made a significant positive im...

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium

Affordable housing
Housing renovation

“Ghent knapt op”: An end and a new beginning!

Ghent knap Op celebrates the end of a successful innovative project on upgrading and renovating homes of vulnerable citizens 'captive owners'. Althoug...

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium

Affordable housing
The ICCARus project has come to an end!

The ICCARus project has come to an end!

The ICCARus-team and participants toasted to the finalisation of the ICCARus project. It has been challenging to carry out so many housing renovation ...

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium

Housing
OCWM

Ghent Knapt Op takes on another challenge: ‘Non-take-up’

More than 500 people from the City of Ghent have been interested in taking part in the Ghent Knapt Op project and on improving their housing condition...

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium

Affordable housing
Eligibility

Gent Knap Op - Zoom in N°3 Improving Housing Conditions

The third Zoom-in dives in the representation of the life cycle of the project through infographic diagrams and explanatory illustrations. The diagram...

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium

Affordable housing
renovation

Ghent Knap Op Journal 3: The Seven Challenges

Like many cities, Ghent suffers a lack of affordable housing: high-quality and energy-efficient homes. Quality homes that are affordable are scarce in...

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium

Affordable housing
img final event

Final event of award winning project ICCARus on March 14, 2022

The European project ICCARus (Improving Housing Conditions for Captive Residents in Ghent) known as 'Gent knapt op' wants to improve the quality and e...

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium

Housing
img

ICCARus (Gent Knapt Op) wins the REGIOSTARS Award in the category Green Europe!

The REGIOSTARS Awards are a yearly competition, organised by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy, since 2008. ...

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium

Housing
accessibility

ICCARus (Gent knapt op): Accessible Homes, Accessible City

A view to a life-long living for seniors and vulnerable citizens. The City of Ghent puts at the forefront accessibility by making homes adaptable for...

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium

Housing
Iccarus project news

Helping people to happy homes – ICCARUS interview in Salto

ICCARUS was featured in the Italian online news portal salto.bz, which has a specific series – “Start Europe Up”. ...

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium

Housing
CORONAVIRUS-PROOF COMMUNITY BUILDING  How to connect people despite the current Covid-19 pandemic restrictions

Coronavirus-Proof Community Building in Ghent

How to connect people despite the current Covid-19 pandemic restrictions? Ghent Knapt Op is a pilot project that not only sets up a new financial sys...

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium

Housing
Recurring Fund

'From House to Home' The Recurring Fund: A sustainable future for low-income housing renovations?

The Gent Knapt Op (ICCARus) pilot project focuses on the renovation of existing substandard homes of vulnerable homeowners. The project aims to renova...

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium

Housing
Gent Knapt Op Journal 2: Five homes renovated and handed over

Gent Knapt Op Journal 2: Five homes renovated and handed over

UIA Expert Martha Giannakopoulou reveals how “Gent Knapt Op launched a series of open calls (waves) and employed an intense communication strategy. Th...

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium

community design

Ghent Knapt Op CO-DESIGNS with residents and delivers its first housing renovations

As Ghent suffers a lack of affordable housing and rising housing prices, the Ghent Knapt Op project aims to renovate houses for vulnerable families an...

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium

Ghent Zoom-in 1: From House to Home

Ghent Zoom-in 1: From House to Home

UIA Expert Martha Giannakopoulou “focuses on the most intricate and complicated part of the ICCARus (Gent Knapt Op) project so far: the selection crit...

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium

housing is a human right

Cities engaging in the right to housing

Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) and URBACT are joining forces to push the right to housing...
UIA Article
Affordable housing
Mobile info point

GENT KNAPT OP SPREADS THE WORD AROUND THE CITY

Gent, a city of 260,000 inhabitants just outside of Brussels, Belgium, is like many cities: it faces the problem of not enough affordable and quality ...

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium

ICCARUS (Gent Knapt Op) Journal 1: Up and running!

ICCARUS (Gent Knapt Op) Journal 1: Up and running!

UIA Expert Martha Giannakopoulou shows how the project “addresses not only the provision of adequate healthy housing for vulnerable citizens but also ...

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium

housing is a human right

Cities engaging in the right to housing

Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) and URBACT are joining forces to push the right to housing...
UIA Article
Affordable housing
The first 25 participants of ‘Gent knapt op’ signed their contract

The first 25 participants of ‘Gent knapt op’ signed their contract

In November ’19 the first 25 participants of ‘Gent knapt op’ signed their contract. This means that 25 households with a renovation need will have a b...

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium

asdasda

The first 25 renovations begin and a ceremony to celebrate it!

Gent knapt op’ has just concluded successfully its first phase of selection process and 25 households and participants are ready to start renovations....

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium

Gent knapt op in action

Ghent starts the recruitment of captive residents for house renovation

In May 2019, the recruitment for candidates for the first wave of house renovations started....

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium

ICCARus Kick-off meeting

Kick-off ICCARus in Ghent

On 21 March, the ICCARus Kick-off event took place in Ghent. During this festive event in one of the selected project-areas Muide-Meulestede-Afrikalaa...

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

Housing

Ghent - Belgium