Intelligent building has been developing for more than 25 years, and has
undergone four major generations. It has now been widely and deeply developed
in new buildings. There is, however, no commensurate development of
intelligence in building maintenance. This paper discusses the current primitive
approaches in building maintenance and puts forward a novel idea of intelligent
building maintenance. A learning model for building maintenance intelligence
is discussed. The research agenda with some examples of this novel discipline
is raised. Although intelligent building maintenance may be a fantasy today, it
could bring far-reaching benefi ts to the health and safety of building users.

• Intelligent building maintenance — A novel discipline