Between a mass-market condominium built by a property conglomerate and a small-scale boutique project by a local developer, which would you probably assume is the ‘better’ development? Some people might have the impression that it’s the latter – the boutique project – based on the assumption that exclusivity and descriptions like ‘bespoke’ or ‘artisanal’ when describing a new residential development implies a high standard. At face value this seems reasonable, since a team of people working hard on a couple of developments would be done with more care and attention to detail. That’s part of the perception some people may have of boutique condos, but recent findings by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) suggest differently. According to the statutory board, which is under the Ministry of National Development, boutique residential projects – defined here as projects with fewer than 50 units – tended to receive worse Construction Quality Assessment System (Conquas) ratings over the past six years....