The concept of a smart city is assumed to use resources more efficiently and in an innovative, creative, and intelligent manner. Initial experience with implementing this concept relates primarily to investments in technology and infrastructure using smart solutions, particularly technical urban infrastructure. An important social aspect of a smart city—people—cannot not go unnoticed. The inhabitants of a smart city are not only beneficiaries; they participate in its co-creation, initiate activities and are creative. This paper focuses on one of the smart city’s technical infrastructure components, which are intelligent sustainable buildings. This article aims to analyze the factors characterizing smart sustainable buildings (SSB) and the possibilities for their development. For this purpose, a SWOT matrix was developed. The factors of this matrix were subjected to a cause-effect analysis using the DEMATEL method to establish relationships between them. The results of the analysis allowed us to examine the social aspect, i.e., the impact of creators and users of sustainable, intelligent buildings on their development and possibilities for their creative and innovative use in an urban space.

Historic buildings that have survived to the present day have been subject to maintenance, repair, and overhaul. Repair work is being carried out so that it can be enjoyed by future generations. However, there have been changes in the construction technology: some construction products have been discontinued and replaced with others of different quality parameters, lower prices, etc. It is necessary to use substitute products during construction work—that is, replacement products that are shaped after the original. Therefore, there is a problem of selecting the best possible substitute material, taking into account many important factors, including the recommendations and requirements of the conservator. This paper presents a methodology for the process of material substitution planning and selection of a substitute with the use of multicriteria analysis, by implementing it in the refurbishment of a historic building façade.

During the operation of buildings, repairs, modernizations, adaptations, renovations, and reconstructions of parts of historic objects are performed. There is often the problem of using a different material or construction technology than was originally used, for a variety of reasons. For example, these are materials not currently manufactured, with necessary higher performance values (insulation, strength). The aim of the article was to analyze and evaluate the possibility of material substitution in repair works and to analyze the cause and effect analysis of its application in the context of different conditions. The article analyzes the causes and conditions of the substitution of materials in various stages of the exploitation phase of buildings, including historic buildings. A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) matrix was developed for the phenomenon of material substitution during the operational phase. With aid from the DEMATEL (Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) method, identification of cause–effect relationships regarding the issue of the possibility of applying the substitution of material solutions in building objects was carried out. The analysis carried out by the authors allows us to conclude that the use of substitution in the construction sector is justified and shows great opportunities in its implementation and development.

In Poland, it often happens that construction objects are subject to demolition work for different reasons. Demolition, according the Construction Law, is defined as a type of construction works and, as such, represents a particular type of construction project. As in other construction projects, a very important phase, in addition to execution of the works, is to prepare, design and plan demolition works. Some demolition activities are covered by appropriate regulations and can be described as typical. On the other hand the technical side of demolition works depends on many factors such as: the type of building, its age, technical condition, type of construction, etc. This article covers the analysis of the stages and tasks in the preparatory phase of the building demolition. This work will also present a description of the tasks carried out during the demolition works based on the example of a historic tenement house located in Krakow. This analysis aims to identify implementation problems and sources of risk that may occur during this type of construction work.