eeEmbedded will develop an open BIM-based holistic collaborative design and simulation platform, a related holistic design methodology, an energy system information model and an integrated information management framework for designing energy-efficient buildings and their optimal energetic embedding in the neighbourhood of surrounding buildings and energy systems. A new design control and monitoring system based on hierarchical key performance indicators will support the complex design collaboration process. Knowledge-based detailing templates will allow energy simulations already in the early design phase, and BIM-enabled interoperability grounded on a novel system ontology will provide for a seamless holistic design process with distributed experts, and a seamless integration of simulations in the virtual design office (energy performance, CO2, CFD, control system, energy system, climate change, user behaviour, construction, facility operation), thus extending it to a real virtual design lab. A test period of 12 project months, overlapping the first 42 development months of the project, will provide for real pre-market validation of the system on two real embedded buildings of different types, namely (1) residential or office, and (2) hospital buildings. The development work will be soundly based on 2 business models – the business model of the owners and hence the equipment providers and the business model of construction and design companies, and on a set of ISO and industry standard data structures and specifications such as IFC, STEP, CityGML and OWL. A new ontology-based Link Model will provide the bridge between the multiple physical and mathematical models involved in the eeBuilding domain warranting the desired data and services interoperability.