Technological advancements and their influence on buildability in construction projects: a phenomenological analysis

Purpose This paper explores how technological advancements influence buildability in construction projects. It presents actionable propositions for enhancing buildability by integrating emerging technologies, focusing on insights from practitioners directly involved in construction delivery. Design/methodology/approach This study employs a qualitative, phenomenological approach using semi-structured interviews across three case studies. Thematic analysis via NVivo-14 identifies patterns in participants’ experiences, offering insights into how technological advancements are reshaping buildability. Findings The actionable propositions suggest that procurement methods and contract conditions should consciously integrate advancing technology through a digital ecosystem and other forms of construction technologies to be used across project stakeholders. Originality/value The originality of this study lies in its ability to translate unconscious, lived experiences of the project team members into conscious, actionable propositions that enhance buildability in construction projects. Although advanced technologies are known to enhance project performance, their specific impact on buildability remains underexplored. This study addresses that gap by demonstrating that technology alone does not improve buildability; rather, its strategic and context-sensitive application does. The study offers a novel contribution by proposing actionable propositions centred on procurement and contractual mechanisms to integrate technologies effectively and improve buildability. Research limitations/implications While the phenomenological approach enables the extraction of rich, lived experiences, it limits the generalisability of the findings due to their context-specific nature. Additionally, the study recruited participants from projects within the Newcastle region of NSW, Australia. Despite these limitations, the study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by offering actionable propositions that can improve buildability of construction projects.