Ben Preston
I work in the
space between
things.
Between engineering and ecology, simplicity and complexity, strategy and soul. The rigour of science and the messiness of real life.
Most of my work comes down to the same question: how do we do important, complex things together without losing what matters along the way?
I bring this to projects, organisations and communities through facilitation, strategic leadership and hands-on delivery — grounded in a decade of building things that actually work.
There's good science behind what I do. Cooperation isn't idealism — it's an evolutionary advantage. The groups that learn to work with complexity, rather than against it, are the ones that thrive. I help make that practical.
I co-founded Living Systems Development to demonstrate this — Peachgrove East is our first project, a 48-unit net-zero Passive House cohousing community in Hamilton, New Zealand.
"Ben's presence made particularly challenging projects much easier for our staff and business. He is genuine, warm-hearted, a solid project lead, great leader and collaborator, and technically top-notch. We'd work with him again in a heartbeat."
— Max Van Biene, Director, Edge Impact
If any of this resonates,
let's chat.
The best collaborations I've been part of started with a conversation, not a proposal.