Jan Leenknegt

Jan is the BIM Director at Bjarke Ingels Group. Based in the Brooklyn office, he manages a team of BIM Specialists at BIG’s five main office locations.

Since laying the groundwork for model-based project delivery during the early BIM adoption days, he has worked on streamlining the design and delivery process through practice on BIG’s iconic projects, such as the Googleplexes in Mountain View and London, the Spiral office tower, Vancouver House, the new Zurich Airport terminal, and many others. Over his decade-long tenure, he has developed a team and built a culture that has helped evolve BIG from a design firm to an architectural production powerhouse.

Working closely with the project teams, he develops custom design technology solutions in the fields of complex geometry management and rationalization, design and documentation automation, and model-based coordination with consultants and fabricators. He enables teams to manage building data throughout the design and construction process and to collaborate efficiently, helping them deliver projects on time and on budget.

He oversees documentation and production standards firm-wide, as well as BIM-related training, knowledge sharing and staffing. He sets out BIM and DT strategies for the firm.

Jan sees Design Technology in architectural practice as a critical but discreet force, at its best when it empowers architects and designers to do what they do best without getting in the way, when it supercharges the creative output without determining it.

Jan has taught and lectured on Design Technology and BIM at multiple institutions and conferences. He holds a degree in Architectural Engineering from the University of Leuven (Belgium) and a degree in Urban Design from Columbia University. He is a registered architect in the state of New York.