Guest Editors
Mehdi Amirkhani
Adelaide University Online, Adelaide University, Australia,
mehdi.amirkhani@adelaide.edu.au
Igor Martek
School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University, Australia,
igor.martek@deakin.edu.au
Introduction
Deep retrofit of existing buildings is increasingly recognised as an urgent global priority to decarbonise the built environment and meet climate targets such as net‐zero emissions by mid-century. Retrofitting the vast stock of ageing buildings offers immense potential to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon footprints, and enhance indoor environmental quality. However, evidence shows a persistent “performance gap” between predicted design performance and actual in-use outcomes in retrofitted buildings. This gap underscores the critical importance of linking design intent, delivery processes, and operational performance, including socio-technical and occupant-related factors, to ensure deep retrofits achieve their expected benefits in practice. Within the journal’s focus on building performance and adaptation research, this Special Issue directly addresses these challenges by integrating rigorous academic insights with practical relevance for industry.
This Special Issue aims to advance knowledge on deep retrofit projects with verified, real-world performance data. It prioritises contributions that bridge expected vs. measured performance outcomes, providing evidence on what works, in which contexts, and why. The collected papers will identify common performance gaps and diagnose their causes, demonstrate robust post-occupancy evaluation (POE) and performance verification methods, and examine occupant behaviour and other socio-technical influences that shape retrofit outcomes. A further emphasis is placed on data-driven monitoring and diagnostic approaches, such as the use of IoT sensors, longitudinal monitoring, and simulation-model calibration, to validate deep retrofit performance and inform continuous improvement. By linking initial design intent and delivery decisions to measured operational results, the issue offers an integrated view of technical performance intertwined with human and organisational factors. This focus represents a novel synthesis of engineering and socio-technical perspectives, moving beyond isolated case descriptions towards an outcomes-focused understanding that can guide future retrofit practice.
Given the scale of the climate and energy challenge, the topicality and societal relevance of this Special Issue are high. It addresses pressing questions for both the research community and practitioners responsible for upgrading existing buildings. The Special Issue will welcome empirical studies featuring monitored performance data, comparative case analyses, longitudinal post-occupancy evaluations, and rigorous systematic reviews. Collectively, these contributions will span themes such as retrofit performance verification and gap analysis, POE implementation frameworks, occupant–building interactions, evidence-based retrofit strategies, and pathways to net-zero carbon outcomes. By consolidating state-of-the-art knowledge and innovation in these areas, the ensuing articles will serve the journal’s readership of academics and reflective practitioners alike, fostering a deeper understanding of how to deliver high-performance, sustainable retrofits that fulfil their promises from design through long-term operation.
List of Topic Areas
Performance verification & gap diagnosis: Methods to measure and validate retrofit outcomes, addressing energy performance gaps.
Post-occupancy evaluation (POE): Frameworks for implementing POE early in retrofit projects to ensure ongoing performance feedback.
Occupant behaviour & building interactions: Studies of how user behaviour and socio-technical factors influence post-retrofit performance.
Evidence-based retrofit strategies: Synthesis of effective retrofit measures and identification of gaps in current research and practice.
Net-zero and low-carbon pathways: Approaches and policies for scaling deep retrofits to achieve long-term carbon reduction goals
Submissions Information
Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access are available at: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ijbpa
Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please see: https://www.emerald.com/ijbpa
Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.
Key Deadlines
Opening date for manuscripts submissions: 22/06/2026
Closing date for manuscripts submission: 22/03/2027
Closing date for abstract submission: 22/01/2027
Email for submissions: mehdi.amirkhani@adelaide.edu.au
