The concept of “building life cycle”: the issue of conceptualization

Introduction. The relevance of this topic lies in the field of analysis and clarification of the terminological apparatus of scientific research. It is obvious that the knowledge of complex technical systems implies their semantic understanding and, consequently, the correct use of terminology, especially borrowed from other subject areas. The concept of the life cycle is the main variant of the implementation of a systematic approach to complex technical objects. It is aimed at displaying changes in the state of these objects during their existence. It is associated with the integration of the processes of design, production and operation of complex technical systems within a single meta-model and involves the identification of a number of stages of the life cycle and the study of the relationships between them. The concept of the “building life cycle”, included in the terminological toolkit of the complex of architectural and construction sciences at the beginning of the XXI century, has been officially consolidated both in the scientific dictionary and at the legal level. The borrowing of this concept from other fields of knowledge determines the importance of its methodological analysis.

Materials and methods. The logical and methodological analysis of the concept of “building life cycle” includes the study of the content of a number of categories (cyclical nature, life cycle), which are basic for its consolidation in the scientific terminology of the complex of architectural and construction knowledge. The mechanism and logic of borrowing this concept from the subject areas of other sciences, the validity of its application in the field of construction are analyzed.

Results. During the study of the features of the conceptualization of the concept of “building life cycle”, a number of fundamental differences between this phenomenon and other types of life cycles were revealed. The necessity of taking into account the specifics of construction projects that differ from other complex technical systems was shown, and the instrumental significance of the concept of “building life cycle” as a theoretical construct was substantiated.

Conclusions. The content of the term “building life cycle” is based on the integrative concept of the life cycle. Its inclusion in the system of concepts of the complex of architectural and construction sciences is justified by the need for a systematic approach to the organization of real estate construction, taking into account the use of BIM-technology.

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