**Preface to "Beyond Energy Efficiency in Architecture. New Challenges and Research Trajectories for Buildings and the Built Environment"**

The building sector has undergone a significant transformation over the past few decades, with a focus on energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. This has been driven by the need to mitigate climate change and the realization that buildings contribute significantly to global energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Building designers and engineers have responded to this challenge with the development of innovative architectural concepts, building technologies, and management systems, resulting in cutting-edge and high-performance buildings.

The aim of this work is to provide insights into the latest developments and innovative strategies in sustainable building design and operation, with a focus on practical applications and solutions. It is intended for professionals in the fields of architecture and engineering, as well as students and researchers who are interested in the topic of sustainable building design and operation.

The motivation for writing this scientific work arose from the growing awareness of the need for sustainable building design and operation in response to the challenges of climate change and resource depletion. It is our hope that this work will contribute to the ongoing efforts to create more sustainable and resilient built environments, and to inspire new ideas and approaches in this important area of research and practice.

This book is the result of bringing together a collection of 13 published works by 58 authors, affiliated to 25 different institutions. All of them have contributed to the knowledge update and extension on the sustainable, digital, and efficient design of built environments. The guest editors of this Special Issue thank all involved parties, without whom it would have been impossible to produce this end product.

#### **Tiziana Poli , Andrea Giovanni Mainini, Gabriele Lobaccaro, Mitja Koˇsir, and Juan Diego Blanco**

**Cadena** *Editors*
