Ben Speedy

The Development Collective is a boutique architecture and development firm that I lead, delivering high-quality residential and commercial projects for clients and internal ventures.

Key Roles:

• Studio Leadership: Lead studio operations and project delivery across multiple concurrent projects, balancing design leadership with commercial, program, and resourcing requirements.
• Client and Stakeholder Engagement: As the primary point of contact, I foster strong relationships with clients and consultants, ensuring effective communication throughout each project. I drive the delivery of community-focused, site-responsive designs that align with market demands.
• Design and Sustainability:I lead the firm's design initiatives, focusing on inventive, sustainable solutions that reflect both client objectives and our commitment to thoughtful architecture. I oversee all design phases, from concept through to completion.
• Financial Management: Lead development feasibility planning across early site assessment and scheme testing, including cost modelling, yield analysis, cash flow forecasting, and sensitivity testing to inform design, approvals, and delivery decisions.
• Team Leadership and Mentorship: I manage a team of junior architects, guiding them in sustainable design, project management, and creative problem-solving.

Kossmanndejong is an exhibition-focused design firm, world-renowned for their work for museums and galleries. KDJ brought me on to help realise their project for the UAE Pavilion at the World Expo, a $500m+ design by Calatrava.

I was part of a two-person team responsible for aligning the exhibition design intent with the ongoing construction of the building, whilst managing prototyping and detailed design development across the exhibition team of various designers and technical consultants.

Working on high-end residential new build and renovation projects, including both small and larger scales. Responsible for projects through all design stages from concept development to consents and onsite administration. Client facing and management, progressed to managing all concept work for the studio.

Working on a long-term master plan for the Motat museum next to the Zoo in Auckland. My responsibilities included building both an extensive context model of Western Springs and a detailed existing and proposed digital model of the sites. Also produced the proposals to be used at meetings with the client.

I tutored in both my third, fourth and fifth years at VUW. 15 hours a week tutoring first and second year students studying design communication, a core paper in the BArch degree. Focusing on developing the students' presentation techniques and design methods. I have also tutored second year students in the core structure course, with heavy focus on engineering equations and NZ building codes and standards.

Responsibilities included taking minutes on site visits, developing and creating the firm's stamp, model making. Every Friday (8hrs) once a week for a full term whilst at high school.