‘Buildability’ in the Digital Age: A Phenomenological Discourse of Industry Practitioners’ Perceptions

Since the emergence of the concept of “buildability” in 1983, numerous studies have focused on improving project performance through buildability. Initially, the buildability discourse was based on narrow definitions and focused on aspects that could improve construction performance. Although explicit academic discourse on buildability has been limited for three decades, the ongoing calls to improve construction performance have never subsided. As buildability was seen as important by industry in the 1980s and 1990s for improving performance, its limited discourse warrants investigation to understand how buildability has evolved in practice over the last 30 years. Therefore, this study aims to review and extend the discourse of the buildability concept using a phenomenological research approach to capture the unconscious evolution of the concept through stakeholder interpretations. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) research philosophy embedded in the exploratory tradition was followed to uncover the 16 key underlying constructs of the buildability concept. The study is significant for casting potential buildability discourse trajectories for the future of the construction industry by integrating people, process, and technology. The findings extend the dimensions of buildability, accommodating stakeholders’ expectations and project conditions as part of buildability decisions. Moreover, the study suggests that emerging technologies (e.g., AI) will become integral to buildability processes in terms of managing knowledge in the future.