The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word BUILDING
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
B
U
I
L
D
I
N
G
Buddy explains!

The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does BUILDING mean?
BUILDING noun- The act or process by which something is built; construction.
- A closed structure with walls and a roof.
- To form (something) by combining materials or parts.
- To develop or give form to (something) according to a plan or process.
- To increase or strengthen (something) by adding gradually to.
- To establish a basis for (something).
- To form by combining materials or parts.
- To develop in magnitude or extent.
- To construct (software) by compiling its source code.
- (of source code) To be converted into software by compilation, usually with minimal human intervention.