When does the golden thread start and finish?

• A. Starts post-construction and ends at handover
• B. Starts pre construction, ends post construction with principal accountable person
• C. Starts during construction, ends at occupancy
• D. Starts after occupancy, ends at project closeout

Answer: (B)

The golden thread is about having a continuous, traceable flow of building information from the very start through to operation, with clear ownership for maintaining that information. It starts in the pre-construction phase so the brief, design intent, data standards, and information requirements are defined upfront, ensuring later design and construction activities generate consistent, usable data. It finishes in the post-construction period with the principal accountable person taking responsibility for the information, meaning there is a named owner who preserves, updates, and makes the asset data available for facilities management and long-term use. This ensures the building can be operated safely and efficiently and that there’s a reliable record for future changes or refurbishments. The other options miss this continuous, accountable information flow by starting too late or ending too early, which would断 break the ability to manage the asset information throughout its life.