Baker Baynes proudly announces Astrid van der Laan, Principal Computational Designer at Zutari, as the winner of the 2025 Extraordinary Women in BIM competition. This esteemed award celebrates leadership, creativity, and technical excellence in the field of Building Information Modeling (BIM).
From her early days as a quiet achiever to her emergence as a transformative leader in digital delivery, van der Laan has been recognized for:
- Co-developing a highly efficient BIM workflow used to deliver 16 bridges in 8 weeks, now adopted across multiple projects.
- Her passion for mentorship, building peer communities, and lifting team capability through collaboration and learning.
- A humble leadership style that balances technical innovation with a genuine dedication to empowering others.
One of the judges praised her as “quietly revolutionary, combining strategic thinking with a genuine desire to lift others as she leads,” highlighting her impact beyond technical prowess.
As part of her recognition, Astrid will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Autodesk University 2025 in Nashville, USA, sponsored by Autodesk and Baker Baynes, where she will join global thought leaders shaping the future of the built environment.
Shanna Cloete, Chief Experience Officer at Baker Baynes, shared: “This competition shone a light on the incredible work being done by women across South Africa. It gave us a moment to pause and reflect on the progress we’ve made in creating workplaces where women are empowered to do what they love, and to excel at it. Astrid represents the very best of these powerful stories, and we’re proud of her, of all the inspiring entrants, and of the initiative itself that continues to elevate and celebrate their impact.”
In addition to Astrid, the competition finalists, Anien Nauta (Senior BIM Manager & Model Coordinator at AECOM) and Elna van der Merwe (Engineering Digital Manager at DRA Global) were recognised for their outstanding contributions to BIM leadership and innovation in South Africa.
