agree with @MikeGrahamT21 and sounds like your builder doesn't actually know the difference or what MVHR is for! if the house doesn't need MVHR then the airtightness isn't good enough and if the airtightness is good enough then MVHR isn't a choice it's a requirement!
so sounds like your builder isn't aiming for a airtightness score of below 3ACH which i believe is the max for mechanical ventilation requirement.
so, really your choice is an airtight house or not. if you want AC and don't want MVHR then you need to design for a poor airtightness build. if you want airtight then you need MVHR and then the decision is whether you want to spend on AC.
in my opinion, you want both! it's not easy, in my opinion, to retrofit AC without a lot of hassle or having pipes up the side of the buildings from the unit. when it's an empty shell you can run them and cover them up.