"When you know how hard it is to build a complicated roof, you tend to start designing roofs that look attractive but maybe aren't quite as complicated, so that the affordability aspect of the house is there. You're building in the value engineering in the beginning of the process instead of designing the house and having it valued engineered after it's done."
Building codes are not sharp knives inspectors use to chop off the heads of contractors, they are books full of options for constructing safe and efficient buildings
To install a good-looking board and batten trim, divide the wall space available by the intended spacing, rather than the batten spacing by the wall. Make sense?