Building code hasn't always been an improvement. There's the cost-economic side too. E.g. the replacement of plaster walls with sheetrock and massive beams wit

Building code hasn't always been an improvement. There's the cost-economic side too. E.g. the replacement of plaster walls with sheetrock and massive beams with dimensional lumber We didn't do those things because they're better: we did them because they're cheaper. On the other hand, modern insulation, vapor barrier, windows, and electrical are strictly superior to what came before.