[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":881},["ShallowReactive",2],{"sanity-1MfbnHAseR":3,"sanity-B8O0JzUdcG":30,"sanity-rL6AzE7Ccq":779,"sanity-i8JUreSf1a":803,"sanity-oxZyK26MyS":871,"sanity-26lUdxxEPw":873},[4],{"_createdAt":5,"_id":6,"_rev":7,"_system":8,"_type":6,"_updatedAt":11,"office_address":12,"office_contact":19,"office_hours":24},"2024-10-21T15:31:56Z","options","o0Z5oBPzurFYWa77gcSjxF",{"base":9},{"id":6,"rev":10},"LKL3bigAMfl2dNRmYc1OCn","2026-04-10T20:49:49Z",{"_type":13,"city":14,"country":15,"name_number":16,"postcode":17,"street":18},"address","Scorrier, Redruth","United Kingdom","Warvena Construction","TR16 5FG","Unit 2, Cornwall Business Park West, Space to Work",{"_type":20,"email":21,"instagram":22,"phone":23},"contact","info@warvenaconstruction.co.uk","https://www.instagram.com/warvena_construction/","01872 300856",[25],{"_key":26,"_type":27,"day":28,"times":29},"cdf4a287633d","office_hours_item","Monday to Friday","9am to 5pm",[31],{"_createdAt":32,"_id":33,"_rev":34,"_system":35,"_type":38,"_updatedAt":39,"components":40,"excerpt":771,"seo":772,"slug":775,"title":778},"2026-06-08T22:06:16Z","d3347d21-2acb-4ad1-80d8-9802d7d315b2","IDnnpmMaiLN3sSgwb4czCc",{"base":36},{"id":33,"rev":37},"H8kwPCvBTRwrcP7zkTKxmf","blog","2026-06-08T22:23:32Z",[41,53,102,134,166,214,267,331,379,427,483,490,583,647],{"_key":42,"_type":43,"content":44,"media":49,"size":51,"type":52},"02ed2edd2ac4","hero",{"text":45,"text_align":46,"title":47,"title_size":48},"With design and build, one company controls everything. With traditional contract, your architect works for you — independently — for the entire build. That difference in loyalty shapes everything that follows.","left","Design and Build vs Traditional Contract: Which Is Right for Your Cornwall Home?","small",{"media_type":50},"image","large","default",{"_key":54,"_type":55,"content":56,"layout":94},"f63f3dd94089","content_area",{"animate_title":57,"text":58,"title_size":48},false,[59,70,78,86],{"_key":60,"_type":61,"children":62,"markDefs":68,"style":69},"74aaa45c3553","block",[63],{"_key":64,"_type":65,"marks":66,"text":67},"745b30384d29","span",[],"There's a moment in almost every early client conversation where this question surfaces.",[],"normal",{"_key":71,"_type":61,"children":72,"markDefs":77,"style":69},"b3c03c5b3a9d",[73],{"_key":74,"_type":65,"marks":75,"text":76},"f4c92393bc7a",[],"\"Do we need an architect first, or can the builder just handle everything?\"",[],{"_key":79,"_type":61,"children":80,"markDefs":85,"style":69},"8955dea6d57b",[81],{"_key":82,"_type":65,"marks":83,"text":84},"cc60359a71b7",[],"It's a fair question. Design and build is marketed heavily — one company, one contract, one point of contact. It sounds simpler. And in some contexts, it is.",[],{"_key":87,"_type":61,"children":88,"markDefs":93,"style":69},"9191c2cc1947",[89],{"_key":90,"_type":65,"marks":91,"text":92},"36e2d6c1cb01",[],"But for a bespoke home in Cornwall, simpler isn't always better. The structure of your contract determines whose interests are being served when decisions get made on site. And on a home you've invested years of thought into, that matters more than most people realise until it's too late to change.",[],{"spacing":95,"theme":99},{"_type":96,"include_section_padding_bottom":57,"include_section_padding_top":57,"section_padding_bottom":97,"section_padding_top":98},"spacing","section-padding-bottom","section-padding-top",{"_type":100,"theme":101},"theme","theme-light bg-white",{"_key":103,"_type":55,"content":104,"layout":131},"69b3eb6633f969d942d786df22730ac1",{"animate_title":57,"text":105,"title":130,"title_size":48},[106,114,122],{"_key":107,"_type":61,"children":108,"markDefs":113,"style":69},"948cc303c169",[109],{"_key":110,"_type":65,"marks":111,"text":112},"e6e9259789fa",[],"In a design and build contract, the contractor takes responsibility for both the design and the construction. You provide an Employer's Requirements document — a brief describing what you want — and the contractor responds with their Contractor's Proposals. From that point, they control both how the home is designed and how it's built.",[],{"_key":115,"_type":61,"children":116,"markDefs":121,"style":69},"67f8f7adafa5",[117],{"_key":118,"_type":65,"marks":119,"text":120},"74ce8d1bcc24",[],"One contract. One relationship. The contractor is accountable for the finished product.",[],{"_key":123,"_type":61,"children":124,"markDefs":129,"style":69},"e57fda49e3f5",[125],{"_key":126,"_type":65,"marks":127,"text":128},"a704d94ab6ef",[],"The architect on a design and build project — if there is one — works for the contractor, not for you. Their design decisions are made within the constraints of the contractor's programme, budget, and margin. Not yours.",[],"What design and build actually means",{"spacing":132,"theme":133},{"_type":96,"include_section_padding_bottom":57,"include_section_padding_top":57,"section_padding_bottom":97,"section_padding_top":98},{"_type":100,"theme":101},{"_key":135,"_type":55,"content":136,"layout":163},"066166175ff0bc7e8e2927ed53d91447",{"animate_title":57,"text":137,"title":162,"title_size":48},[138,146,154],{"_key":139,"_type":61,"children":140,"markDefs":145,"style":69},"e1a6ab3f1998",[141],{"_key":142,"_type":65,"marks":143,"text":144},"671a47c61977",[],"In a traditional contract — sometimes called design-bid-build — the process runs in sequence. You appoint an architect. They develop your design through the RIBA stages, entirely independently, with their professional duty of care owed to you. Once the design is complete, you go to tender. A contractor is appointed to build what the architect has designed.",[],{"_key":147,"_type":61,"children":148,"markDefs":153,"style":69},"e80e1fadecfe",[149],{"_key":150,"_type":65,"marks":151,"text":152},"60f0d0cdc34f",[],"The architect then acts as contract administrator throughout construction — certifying payments, issuing instructions, managing variations — with their loyalty still entirely on your side.",[],{"_key":155,"_type":61,"children":156,"markDefs":161,"style":69},"cb4c4222db47",[157],{"_key":158,"_type":65,"marks":159,"text":160},"788818c4b78d",[],"Two separate appointments. Two separate accountabilities. The design and the build remain independent of each other throughout.",[],"What traditional contract actually means",{"spacing":164,"theme":165},{"_type":96,"include_section_padding_bottom":57,"include_section_padding_top":57,"section_padding_bottom":97,"section_padding_top":98},{"_type":100,"theme":101},{"_key":167,"_type":55,"content":168,"layout":211},"b81c8f511740329a753bb29ae6b6318b",{"animate_title":57,"text":169,"title":210,"title_size":48},[170,178,186,194,202],{"_key":171,"_type":61,"children":172,"markDefs":177,"style":69},"a1dda73ccd67",[173],{"_key":174,"_type":65,"marks":175,"text":176},"be5ccc368875",[],"This is where it matters.",[],{"_key":179,"_type":61,"children":180,"markDefs":185,"style":69},"522a474b7f49",[181],{"_key":182,"_type":65,"marks":183,"text":184},"50168254d226",[],"In design and build, the contractor controls both the brief and its execution. Every design decision they make — every material specification, every junction detail, every value engineering call — is made by someone whose commercial interest is to build it as profitably as possible. That's not a criticism. It's just the structure. And the structure shapes the outcome.",[],{"_key":187,"_type":61,"children":188,"markDefs":193,"style":69},"1bb181814fc1",[189],{"_key":190,"_type":65,"marks":191,"text":192},"ada902b8d6d5",[],"When a detail is expensive to build as drawn, a design and build contractor has every incentive to simplify it. When a material is on a long lead time, they have every incentive to substitute it. When a specification can be met with something cheaper, they have every reason to use it. None of those decisions require your approval under a design and build contract — because they made the design, so they get to revise it.",[],{"_key":195,"_type":61,"children":196,"markDefs":201,"style":69},"0df0dd9cce09",[197],{"_key":198,"_type":65,"marks":199,"text":200},"7cdd5fffc304",[],"In a traditional contract, none of that happens without your architect's sign-off. The architect's job is to protect your design intent throughout construction. Every substitution, every simplification, every departure from the specification has to go through them. They work for you. Their professional reputation depends on what gets built matching what was designed.",[],{"_key":203,"_type":61,"children":204,"markDefs":209,"style":69},"d5cd86ea21c5",[205],{"_key":206,"_type":65,"marks":207,"text":208},"716542edf091",[],"That independence is what you're paying for when you appoint an architect separately. It isn't a formality. It's a structural protection that runs for the entire length of your build.",[],"The honest difference between them",{"spacing":212,"theme":213},{"_type":96,"include_section_padding_bottom":57,"include_section_padding_top":57,"section_padding_bottom":97,"section_padding_top":98},{"_type":100,"theme":101},{"_key":215,"_type":55,"content":216,"layout":264},"5bf398fe622d23963ba2b0d1d13a2942",{"animate_title":57,"text":217,"title":263,"title_size":48},[218,226,239,251],{"_key":219,"_type":61,"children":220,"markDefs":225,"style":69},"a82c3fd2ac1d",[221],{"_key":222,"_type":65,"marks":223,"text":224},"a0bb7d6c50b1",[],"It would be dishonest to say design and build never works. It does — in the right context.",[],{"_key":227,"_type":61,"children":228,"markDefs":238,"style":69},"0cafd212d4c7",[229,234],{"_key":230,"_type":65,"marks":231,"text":233},"13aa681981c2",[232],"strong","Commercial and volume projects",{"_key":235,"_type":65,"marks":236,"text":237},"a33a8e7196c0",[]," where the brief is tightly defined, the specification is standardised, and design quality is not the primary driver. Office fit-outs, retail units, volume housing, industrial buildings — these suit design and build well. The contractor's efficiency works in your favour. There's less to lose if the aesthetic gets simplified.",[],{"_key":240,"_type":61,"children":241,"markDefs":250,"style":69},"2cee1c0fb879",[242,246],{"_key":243,"_type":65,"marks":244,"text":245},"47d23af2dabd",[232],"Clients who want simplicity above everything else",{"_key":247,"_type":65,"marks":248,"text":249},"812849d346be",[]," and have a relatively straightforward brief. If your priority is speed, single-point accountability, and you're not deeply invested in the design outcome, design and build delivers those things.",[],{"_key":252,"_type":61,"children":253,"markDefs":262,"style":69},"ac1074cdfff7",[254,258],{"_key":255,"_type":65,"marks":256,"text":257},"ae6d7521b4bd",[232],"Projects where the programme is the overriding constraint.",{"_key":259,"_type":65,"marks":260,"text":261},"014ca3d80ef0",[]," Design and construction can overlap in a design and build arrangement, which can produce a faster overall delivery where speed genuinely matters more than design resolution.",[],"Where design and build works",{"spacing":265,"theme":266},{"_type":96,"include_section_padding_bottom":57,"include_section_padding_top":57,"section_padding_bottom":97,"section_padding_top":98},{"_type":100,"theme":101},{"_key":268,"_type":55,"content":269,"layout":328},"92c1c4cd5b1bb2d1045a4e2b70216e40",{"animate_title":57,"text":270,"title":327,"title_size":48},[271,283,291,299,307,319],{"_key":272,"_type":61,"children":273,"markDefs":282,"style":69},"fc0fd4e7ff5b",[274,278],{"_key":275,"_type":65,"marks":276,"text":277},"99473c7b9e28",[232],"On a bespoke architect-designed home in Cornwall",{"_key":279,"_type":65,"marks":280,"text":281},"a82dfc96abbc",[],", design and build almost always works against the client. Here's why.",[],{"_key":284,"_type":61,"children":285,"markDefs":290,"style":69},"aa62684e2350",[286],{"_key":287,"_type":65,"marks":288,"text":289},"040010ec1367",[],"You've spent months — possibly years — working with an architect on a home that's specific to you, your site, your life. The design has been developed carefully. The materials have been chosen for reasons. The junctions have been detailed. The specification reflects decisions that matter.",[],{"_key":292,"_type":61,"children":293,"markDefs":298,"style":69},"a14b4951b115",[294],{"_key":295,"_type":65,"marks":296,"text":297},"1c34ec0bd504",[],"The moment you hand that to a design and build contractor, you lose the independent professional whose job it is to protect all of those decisions. The architect is now on the contractor's payroll. Their priorities shift accordingly.",[],{"_key":300,"_type":61,"children":301,"markDefs":306,"style":69},"a4597ffbd3cb",[302],{"_key":303,"_type":65,"marks":304,"text":305},"8a3a9b18cce2",[],"We've seen what this produces. A bespoke home that starts as one thing and arrives as something slightly different — not dramatically, not obviously, but in the accumulated weight of a hundred small compromises. A window detail simplified here. A material substituted there. A junction that was specified one way built another way because it was easier. Each individual change is defensible. Taken together, they erode the design.",[],{"_key":308,"_type":61,"children":309,"markDefs":318,"style":69},"e450bb554529",[310,314],{"_key":311,"_type":65,"marks":312,"text":313},"58d46b940b57",[232],"On cost",{"_key":315,"_type":65,"marks":316,"text":317},"3396137a40bf",[],", the picture is equally mixed. Design and build can appear cheaper at tender — but that apparent saving often comes from a specification that's been quietly reduced to make the number work. What you're comparing at tender isn't the same home. And once you're on site, you have limited contractual leverage to push back.",[],{"_key":320,"_type":61,"children":321,"markDefs":326,"style":69},"6d3a21edc4b0",[322],{"_key":323,"_type":65,"marks":324,"text":325},"c14cc4658a76",[],"Under a traditional contract, the specification is fixed before tender. Every contractor prices the same thing. The comparison is real. And your architect is there throughout construction to make sure what was priced is what gets built.",[],"Where design and build works against you",{"spacing":329,"theme":330},{"_type":96,"include_section_padding_bottom":57,"include_section_padding_top":57,"section_padding_bottom":97,"section_padding_top":98},{"_type":100,"theme":101},{"_key":332,"_type":55,"content":333,"layout":376},"16b5827662ae3eb891116cf38e6613e9",{"animate_title":57,"text":334,"title":375,"title_size":48},[335,343,351,359,367],{"_key":336,"_type":61,"children":337,"markDefs":342,"style":69},"a51312664c4a",[338],{"_key":339,"_type":65,"marks":340,"text":341},"aeba397e4140",[],"We don't take on design and build projects for bespoke residential clients. Not because we couldn't — but because we don't think it serves them well.",[],{"_key":344,"_type":61,"children":345,"markDefs":350,"style":69},"34fc394253b6",[346],{"_key":347,"_type":65,"marks":348,"text":349},"4ff0cbfae398",[],"Our clients come to us with an architect they've chosen, a design they've invested in, and a vision for a home that's genuinely theirs. The traditional contract model is the right structure for that. It keeps the architect's loyalty where it belongs — with you — and it keeps our accountability where it belongs — with delivering what was specified.",[],{"_key":352,"_type":61,"children":353,"markDefs":358,"style":69},"6c9880c70e0f",[354],{"_key":355,"_type":65,"marks":356,"text":357},"a10f96c8f8fd",[],"We work under JCT contracts with the architect acting as contract administrator. We treat the Stage 4 technical drawings as the specification, not a starting point for negotiation. When something can't be built as drawn, we raise it formally, we agree an alternative with the architect, and we document it. That's how the design stays intact.",[],{"_key":360,"_type":61,"children":361,"markDefs":366,"style":69},"1b6a4f069d09",[362],{"_key":363,"_type":65,"marks":364,"text":365},"24a2a2c046b6",[],"The projects we're proudest of — The Ark at Constantine Bay with marraum architects, the coastal renovation at Trevaunance Cove, the Passive House build at Wheal Quoit — all came through traditional contract. The design was developed by the architect. We built it. The client got what was designed.",[],{"_key":368,"_type":61,"children":369,"markDefs":374,"style":69},"aa325baa0848",[370],{"_key":371,"_type":65,"marks":372,"text":373},"3b0a480e92da",[],"That's the model that works.",[],"The Warvena position",{"spacing":377,"theme":378},{"_type":96,"include_section_padding_bottom":57,"include_section_padding_top":57,"section_padding_bottom":97,"section_padding_top":98},{"_type":100,"theme":101},{"_key":380,"_type":55,"content":381,"layout":424},"deb5537b7af55ea3064c40707178d456",{"animate_title":57,"text":382,"title":423,"title_size":48},[383,391,399,407,415],{"_key":384,"_type":61,"children":385,"markDefs":390,"style":69},"d07d9cf34cdb",[386],{"_key":387,"_type":65,"marks":388,"text":389},"f19c31561ff1",[],"Most clients don't think about contract structure until they're already deep into the design process. By then, the architect is appointed, the brief is developed, and the question answers itself.",[],{"_key":392,"_type":61,"children":393,"markDefs":398,"style":69},"f55517422b3c",[394],{"_key":395,"_type":65,"marks":396,"text":397},"5c894d34bd8c",[],"But some clients — particularly those who've had a design and build experience before, or who've been pitched hard by a design and build contractor early on — arrive at the conversation uncertain which way to go.",[],{"_key":400,"_type":61,"children":401,"markDefs":406,"style":69},"59ebb285fc60",[402],{"_key":403,"_type":65,"marks":404,"text":405},"7360964778bf",[],"If that's you, here's the question worth sitting with: how much does the design matter to you?",[],{"_key":408,"_type":61,"children":409,"markDefs":414,"style":69},"75362991e397",[410],{"_key":411,"_type":65,"marks":412,"text":413},"360f91ae73de",[],"If the answer is \"a lot\" — if the home you're building is genuinely specific, if the materials and details and spaces have been thought about carefully, if you want to end up living in something that resembles what you imagined — traditional contract is the right structure. It's the only structure that keeps an independent professional protecting your design intent from the first drawing to the last day on site.",[],{"_key":416,"_type":61,"children":417,"markDefs":422,"style":69},"bfd3579ea560",[418],{"_key":419,"_type":65,"marks":420,"text":421},"73ff2272df58",[],"If the answer is \"not that much\" — if the priority is speed or simplicity and the design outcome is secondary — design and build may serve you. But that's a rare position for someone building a bespoke home in Cornwall.",[],"The procurement question nobody asks early enough",{"spacing":425,"theme":426},{"_type":96,"include_section_padding_bottom":57,"include_section_padding_top":57,"section_padding_bottom":97,"section_padding_top":98},{"_type":100,"theme":101},{"_key":428,"_type":55,"content":429,"layout":480},"81f4cb385468b41ac97a6754b3cc241c",{"animate_title":57,"text":430,"title":479,"title_size":48},[431,439,447,455,463,471],{"_key":432,"_type":61,"children":433,"markDefs":438,"style":69},"5a10d083a9d7",[434],{"_key":435,"_type":65,"marks":436,"text":437},"aaf138fa0466",[232],"1. Who does the architect work for?",[],{"_key":440,"_type":61,"children":441,"markDefs":446,"style":69},"cd143326daee",[442],{"_key":443,"_type":65,"marks":444,"text":445},"cd22419d6100",[],"In design and build, they work for the contractor. In traditional contract, they work for you. Ask directly — and get the answer in writing.",[],{"_key":448,"_type":61,"children":449,"markDefs":454,"style":69},"4e07d5b06627",[450],{"_key":451,"_type":65,"marks":452,"text":453},"fdf2fcb6de71",[232],"2. What happens when something can't be built as drawn?",[],{"_key":456,"_type":61,"children":457,"markDefs":462,"style":69},"c197865f7c14",[458],{"_key":459,"_type":65,"marks":460,"text":461},"57607475e8c2",[],"In design and build, the contractor decides. In traditional contract, the architect decides — with your input. This question will happen on your build. Knowing who answers it before you sign matters.",[],{"_key":464,"_type":61,"children":465,"markDefs":470,"style":69},"4ab8426146a0",[466],{"_key":467,"_type":65,"marks":468,"text":469},"1d0e761c8243",[232],"3. What are you actually comparing at tender?",[],{"_key":472,"_type":61,"children":473,"markDefs":478,"style":69},"f91edf6e2ae0",[474],{"_key":475,"_type":65,"marks":476,"text":477},"a1ea93344b67",[],"If you're comparing a design and build tender against a traditional contract tender, make sure you're comparing the same specification. Design and build tenders frequently carry a reduced spec to hit a price point. The lower number is not always the same home.",[],"Three questions to ask before you decide",{"spacing":481,"theme":482},{"_type":96,"include_section_padding_bottom":57,"include_section_padding_top":57,"section_padding_bottom":97,"section_padding_top":98},{"_type":100,"theme":101},{"_key":484,"_type":55,"content":485,"layout":487},"72e300b0f8226d1def2d726a2acb8cb1",{"animate_title":57,"title":486,"title_size":48},"Frequently asked questions",{"spacing":488,"theme":489},{"_type":96,"include_section_padding_bottom":57,"include_section_padding_top":57,"section_padding_bottom":97,"section_padding_top":98},{"_type":100,"theme":101},{"_key":491,"_type":492,"accordion":493,"content":578,"layout":580},"cb153721817d","accordion",[494,507,519,531,543,555,566],{"_key":495,"_type":496,"text":497,"title":506},"d0c33503afd0","accordion_item",[498],{"_key":499,"_type":61,"children":500,"markDefs":505,"style":69},"db49275b9a47",[501],{"_key":502,"_type":65,"marks":503,"text":504},"16cbf8478f70",[],"n design and build, one contractor is responsible for both designing and building your home — they control both. In a traditional contract, an architect develops your design independently and then a separate contractor is appointed to build it. The architect continues to work for you throughout construction, protecting the design intent and managing the contract on your behalf.",[],"What is the difference between design and build and traditional contract?",{"_key":508,"_type":496,"text":509,"title":518},"122d7300137a",[510],{"_key":511,"_type":61,"children":512,"markDefs":517,"style":69},"0ba84bf2f4e4",[513],{"_key":514,"_type":65,"marks":515,"text":516},"1bac640c7ae9",[],"Not necessarily — and often not in practice. Design and build tenders can appear lower because the specification has been reduced to hit a price point. Under a traditional contract, every contractor tenders against the same fully-detailed specification, so the comparison is real. The architect's fee adds cost, but the protection that independent professional provides — on design quality and cost control — typically delivers more value than it costs.",[],"Is design and build cheaper than traditional contract?",{"_key":520,"_type":496,"text":521,"title":530},"f6a58b32d4ff",[522],{"_key":523,"_type":61,"children":524,"markDefs":529,"style":69},"e2293cbde7b4",[525],{"_key":526,"_type":65,"marks":527,"text":528},"a21be50b70b0",[],"You can appoint an architect to develop the brief before appointing a design and build contractor. But once the design and build contract is in place, the architect either moves onto the contractor's team or their role ends. They no longer work for you independently. If retaining your architect's independent oversight throughout construction matters to you, traditional contract is the right structure.",[],"Can I use my own architect with a design and build contract?",{"_key":532,"_type":496,"text":533,"title":542},"bf5c539b07da",[534],{"_key":535,"_type":61,"children":536,"markDefs":541,"style":69},"937e8686b5f3",[537],{"_key":538,"_type":65,"marks":539,"text":540},"ae700f745847",[],"In a traditional contract, the architect typically acts as contract administrator — certifying payments to the contractor, issuing formal instructions, and managing the variation process. Their role protects your interests throughout the build. In a design and build arrangement, there is no independent contract administrator. The contractor manages their own performance, which is a fundamentally different position for the client.",[],"What is a contract administrator and why does it matter?",{"_key":544,"_type":496,"text":545,"title":554},"46094f91bae1",[546],{"_key":547,"_type":61,"children":548,"markDefs":553,"style":69},"652de5075d37",[549],{"_key":550,"_type":65,"marks":551,"text":552},"bcb07b6a34f4",[],"We work under traditional JCT contracts with the architect acting as contract administrator on all bespoke residential projects. We don't take on design and build arrangements for private clients — not because we're unable to, but because we don't believe it serves clients who have invested seriously in a bespoke design. The traditional model keeps accountability where it belongs and protects the design from the first drawing to the last day on site.",[],"Which contract structure does Warvena use?",{"_key":556,"_type":496,"text":557,"title":552},"030c13ce5687",[558],{"_key":559,"_type":61,"children":560,"markDefs":565,"style":69},"5b2bc8695b45",[561],{"_key":562,"_type":65,"marks":563,"text":564},"68c1eda18996",[],"Yes — for a Passive House or high-performance build in particular. The technical specification on a Passive House project is precise. Airtightness details, thermal bridge calculations, window specifications, mechanical ventilation systems — these have been engineered carefully and they need to be built exactly as designed. 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