Humanity has inhabited and proliferated on the earth, constructing countless habitats. From rudimentary shelters used by ancient civilizations to today's skyscrapers and high-speed railways, civil engineering has undergone technological changes across multiple epochs. With the increasingly challenges posed by global climate change and ecological issues, the characteristics associated with traditional engineering construction such as, high energy consumption, emissions, pollution, and non-degradable solid waste, are gradually becoming incompatible with the demands for today's construction. These include carbon neutrality, sustainability and recyclable. A transformation of civil engineering is inevitable. This article proposes the concept of “biogenic construction”. It is a system comprising four areas: microbial construction, plant construction, animal construction, and bioinspired construction. Each of the four areas is explained in terms of biogenic construction theory, technology, materials, equipment, processes, inspection, and testing. Some specific cases are also used to explain the concepts and applications. The perspectives of biogenic construction are also discussed.