Buildings protect us, help us and inspire us, but you ever wonder what they would say if they could talk? Do they have dreams of helping us be healthier? What clever friendships have they made with the sun and the wind? Are they excited for the future? This imaginative children's book contemplates what would happen if the buildings surrounding us suddenly piped up to tell us their big sustainability dreams. Written by Senior Marketing Specialist Melanie Hawley and illustrated by ten designers at Little, If Buildings Could Talk 2 is the second book in a series that invites kids of all ages to ponder the conversations they might have with the architecture in their lives.

Your building has the potential to change the world. Existing buildings consume approximately 40 percent of the energy and emit nearly half of the carbon dioxide in the US each year. In recognition of the significant contribution of buildings to climate change, the idea of building green has become increasingly popular. But is it enough? If an energy-efficient building is new construction, it may take 10 to 80 years to overcome the climate change impacts of the building process. New buildings are sexy, but few realize the value in existing buildings and how easy it is to get to “zero energy” or low-energy consumption through deep energy retrofits. Existing buildings can and should be retrofit to reduce environmental impacts that contribute to climate change, while improving human health and productivity for building occupants. In The Power of Existing Buildings, academic sustainability expert Robert Sroufe, and construction and building experts Craig Stevenson and Beth Eckenrode, explain how to realize the potential of existing buildings and make them perform like new. This step-by-step guide will help readers to: understand where to start a project; develop financial models and realize costs savings; assemble an expert team; and align goals with numerous sustainability programs. The Power of Existing Buildings will challenge you to rethink spaces where people work and play, while determining how existing buildings can save the world. The insights and practical experience of Sroufe, Stevenson, and Eckenrode, along with the project case study examples, provide new insights on investing in existing buildings for building owners, engineers, occupants, architects, and real estate and construction professionals. The Power of Existing Buildings helps decision-makers move beyond incremental changes to holistic, results-oriented solutions.

Did You Know? At least 189,429 Limerick residents migrated from Ireland between 1851 and 1911. A Limerick man, George Geary Bennis, saved the life of King Louis Phillipe of France during a street fracas in 1848. For this he was awarded the title of 'Chevalier'. The last Limerick woman hanged was Annie Walsh, who was executed on 5 August 1925 after being found guilty of murdering her husband. In 1849 an Adare man called Hamilton attempted to assassinate Queen Victoria. The Little Book of Limerick is a compendium of fascinating information about the city and county, past and present. Here you will find out about Limerick's buildings and bridges, crime and punishment, tragic accidents, and its famous (and occasionally infamous) men and women. It covers not only the well-known aspects of Limerick's history but also focuses on the details of the everyday man in the street, recording facts that could so easily have been forgotten. A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped into time and again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage, the secrets and the enduring fascination of this ancient city and county. It is essential reading for visitors and locals alike.