konstruktion

Konstruktion is a term used in several Germanic languages, including German and Swedish, to denote the act or process of constructing, assembling, or designing a structure or system, as well as the resulting product. The word derives from Latin constructio through Old French and Germanic languages. In general use, it encompasses engineering, architecture, product development, and related disciplines.

In architecture and civil and mechanical engineering, konstruktion covers the planning, design, calculation, fabrication, erection, and inspection of structures and mechanical systems. Practice emphasizes safety, compliance with codes, choice of materials, load-bearing behaviour, and lifecycle considerations. Modern construction also integrates digital tools such as building information modeling (BIM), modularization, and prefabrication to improve efficiency and sustainability.

In linguistics, the term appears in the sense of construction grammar, where a konstruktion is a conventionalized pair of form and meaning or a schematic pattern used to assemble phrases and sentences. This usage treats grammar as a system of usable units rather than a fixed set of rules.

In German‑speaking industry, konstruktion commonly refers to the design and development function within a company, sometimes written as Konstruktion or Konstruktion und Entwicklung, and contrasted with production (Fertigung). Professionals in this field are typically called Konstrukteur or Designer, who translate requirements into technical specifications and drawings.