Apple (iPhone/iPad/Mac): “Subscribe” keeps it updated. If it doesn’t open, use “Download .ics” and add it to Calendar.
Google Calendar / Android: Subscription is best done on desktop: open Google Calendar → Settings → "Add calendar" → "From URL" and paste the https link.
Outlook (Windows/Mac): “Subscribe” usually works. If not, use “Download .ics” and import it.
Subscription updates automatically if dates/times change. The download is a one-time import (you won’t automatically get updates).
A house as an environmental separator and performance system.
Discussion
What outcomes do homeowners actually prioritize vs. what building professionals think they prioritize?
For a tight-budget Fort Collins home, which outcome do you protect first - durability, comfort, IAQ, or operating cost - and what stays at code-minimum?
When an energy upgrade changes drying potential or surface temperature, who proves the assembly still works - designer, builder, HERS rater, or code official?
Which line item is most misunderstood by the public, and what evidence would you show to prove it is real rather than developer markup?
How much of a home's final price is driven by choices made before construction starts?
What cost should be shown separately in public debate: land, fees/taps, site infrastructure, financing delay, builder margin, or lifecycle operating cost?
The external environment the building must withstand.
Discussion
Which Fort Collins climate stressor is most underestimated by local builders?
Which products or details are most vulnerable to high-altitude UV here: WRB exposure, sealants, claddings, roofing, or window finishes - and who verifies exposure limits?
When rainfall, smoke, or freeze-thaw risk exceeds assumptions in adopted code, which upgrades should be voluntary best practice and which should become permit requirements?
What's the single biggest zoning constraint driving up per-unit land cost in Fort Collins, and is the outcome it protects worth the cost?
On a specific Fort Collins corridor or infill lot type, which constraint would stop a 50% yield increase first: parking, height, setbacks, stormwater, fire access, financing, or opposition?
Which nearby Colorado zoning rule should Fort Collins test first, and what local condition might make it fail here?
How environmental conditions turn into forces and stressors.
Discussion
Which load is most often missed before construction in Northern Colorado: wind-driven water, snow drift, solar gain, expansive soil movement, or occupant moisture - and what is the first visible consequence?
Occupant-generated loads (moisture, heat, CO2) grow as houses get tighter. Are we adapting fast enough?
When occupant behavior creates loads the design did not anticipate, should the fix be better equipment, better envelope design, or better owner handoff?
How materials and systems degrade - and how failures show up.
Discussion
Which failure mechanisms are most consequential in Fort Collins' climate - and which get the most (or least) attention from local builders?
Which inspection checkpoint during the typical residential build sequence do you think does or would catch the highest-consequence failure chain? Where would you put it and what would you look for?
When a failure shows up (stain, mold, crack), to what extent do construction professionals trace the chain back to mechanism vs jump to “bad product” or “bad trade” and put a quick fix on it?
“Before the first stick” costs that tilt the math.
Discussion
For debate: Fort Collins' LCUASS residential local street standard requires a 30-foot roadway with curb, gutter, and sidewalk on both sides (connector locals: 36 feet). Could a narrower cross-section with swale drainage achieve the same safety outcomes at lower cost?
Landscaping standards (tree counts, caliper requirements, mandatory irrigation) scale by site and frontage but not by dwelling size - an 800 sq ft cottage on a similar lot faces many of the same obligations as a 2,400 sq ft home. Should requirements scale with unit size?
When a small development must fund off-site infrastructure upgrades, who should bear that cost - the project, the city, or the future users of that infrastructure?
Most failures come from interactions of heat, air, and moisture.
Discussion
What's a real example of a change in one building system that created an unexpected failure in another?
As homes get tighter in Northern Colorado, which risk becomes the first serious field problem: under-delivered ventilation, pressure imbalance, attic or roof moisture, cooling comfort, or occupant operation?
When each trade owns only one scope, where should house-as-a-system responsibility live: design details, trade scopes, builder coordination, inspection checkpoints, or performance testing?
Which design decisions in the first week of a project lock in the most cost for the remaining 6 months?
When local new homes end up larger than the household actually needs, who's driving the extra size: buyers, lenders, appraisers, zoning, parking norms, builders, or resale risk?
Could Fort Collins support a market for well-designed homes under 1,000 sq ft, and what barriers prevent it?
Treating “alternative” methods as math problems, not fads.
Discussion
Which alternative building system (panelized, modular, SIPs, ICF, etc.) has the most realistic path to cost parity in Northern Colorado?
For one selected system, which single barrier kills the pro forma first here: inspection, logistics, financing, local trades, warranty, or buyer acceptance?
If you were building 50 identical units in Fort Collins today, would you choose stick-frame or an alternative, and why?
Air movement carries far more moisture than diffusion.
Discussion
Given that air leakage usually dominates vapor diffusion, where should the next hour of design/QA time go: vapor retarder selection, air barrier continuity, or ventilation commissioning?
What blower door number should Fort Collins builders target, and where's the practical floor before mechanical ventilation becomes non-negotiable?
Where are the three most common air leakage paths in a typical Fort Collins home, and which is cheapest to fix?
For current Fort Collins code and utility rates, which required energy measures have the strongest and weakest 10-year affordability case?
Should energy targets be set by code (mandatory), the market (voluntary), or incentives (somewhere in between)?
If a high-performance package adds $20K but reduces monthly bills, callbacks, or smoke/comfort risk, what evidence would make buyers, lenders, or appraisers value it?
Thermal control is also moisture and durability control.
Discussion
In our climate (hot summers, cold dry winters), where is condensation risk highest - and is it the same location summer vs. winter?
At which details does continuous insulation earn its cost through durability or comfort even when energy payback is weak?
Where, if anywhere, does thermal mass help in Fort Collins housing: slab-on-grade solar gain, cooling peak reduction, comfort stability, or not enough to matter?
How time, uncertainty, and risk show up in the price.
Discussion
For the baseline project, which financing cost is largest: land carry before approval, construction interest, rate-lock risk, contingency, or absorption delay?
What's the riskiest phase of a residential project from a financial perspective, and how does that risk get priced in?
If approval timelines were predictable (even if not shorter), how much risk premium would come out of housing costs?
Removing friction without lowering legitimate standards.
Discussion
Which reform would reduce the most cost for the baseline project: by-right missing-middle approval, preapproved plans, published review timelines, fee scaling, or concurrent review - and who would object?
Community opposition blocks density in many neighborhoods. How should a community balance existing residents' preferences with the need for more housing?
If Fort Collins adopted single-window or concurrent review, which department handoff would still control the critical path?
Mechanical systems as part of the building performance system.
Discussion
Is the industry oversizing HVAC equipment for tight houses, and what are the consequences?
How should ventilation strategy change as houses get tighter - and who should own the design, the HVAC contractor or a separate specialist?
Which should carry more of the comfort/IAQ burden in a tight Fort Collins home: better enclosure, better distribution design, better filtration/ventilation, or smarter controls?
Turning a year of conversations into a usable tool to increase housing affordability in Northern Colorado.
Discussion
Of everything we've discussed this year, which lever has the most untapped potential to reduce housing costs in Fort Collins?
What's the one thing this group could do in the next 12 months that would have the most impact?
In 60 seconds to city council, which one cost chain would you explain with numbers: yield, fees/taps, infrastructure, delay/carry, house size, or financing risk?