PAS 8700 in Practice: Driving Quality and Confidence in Modern Methods of Construction

Iman Abi Saab

Iman Abi Saab is Mott MacDonald’s Buildings Director for the Middle East and the Regional Technical Excellence Leader for South Asia, the Middle East and Africa. A Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers, she brings over 25 years of experience leading the successful design and delivery of complex building and infrastructure projects across the region.

In her technical excellence role, Iman focuses on safeguarding quality and harnessing digital innovation to ensure the organisation remains at the forefront of addressing the construction industry’s most complex challenges. She is a strong champion of sustainable and low carbon design, advocating for solutions that reduce environmental impact while delivering long term social value.

Beyond her organisational leadership, Iman plays an active leadership role within the Institution of Structural Engineers, the DXBContech, and wider construction industry, contributing to the advancement of professional development, technological advancement, and inclusive leadership.

Trudi Sully

Trudi is an advocate for the adoption of industrialised construction and modern methods of construction (MMC) to unlock better outcomes from our built environment. She has previously worked across a broad range of industries, but with a common theme of tackling challenges and supporting transformation. Bringing this insight to construction, she was integral to the establishment and running of the Construction Innovation Hub - a collaboration between the UK government and industry focused on developing tools and approaches that enable improved productivity, performance, and resilience.

Through this work she oversaw the development or contributed to a range of MMC guidance, toolkits, and policy. With a particular passion for promoting the use of MMC for housing, she was part of the Steering Group that developed the BSI standard, PAS8700:2025 – ‘Modern methods of construction for new build residential properties’.

She is also the Co-Chair of the Building Better Community of Practice - a learning partnership committed to driving systemic change in how to deliver social and affordable housing.

Suzanne Davenport

Architect and author Suzanne Davenport is a skilled communicator working on housing and community buildings, with expertise in modern methods of construction, robust low energy design, radical retrofit, and listed building conservation.

Suzanne is technical author of PAS 8700: 2025 Modern methods of construction for new-build residential properties for BSI (British Standards Institution) as well as author and graphic designer of publications for NHBC (National House Building Council), Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and Welsh Government.

Suzanne’s approach has a strong collaborative emphasis, believing that successful designs depend upon the close integration of multiple disciplines and a thorough understanding of the various aspects that constitute the built environment.

Mārcis Kreičmanis

Mārcis Kreičmanis is the Chief Executive Officer for LAMOD Design. He brings together construction, manufacturing, sustainability, and business strategy to support the transition toward more industrialised and scalable building delivery. With a background in environmental and waste management, business administration, and executive-level strategy, he has built his career around improving how construction projects are planned, designed, manufactured, and delivered.

Over the years, he has been part of large-scale projects across Europe, Canada, Asia and the GCC, with experience spanning large scale modular construction developments. Marcis has worked extensively with DfMA, BIM-based workflows, cost optimisation, project planning, and production-led delivery models, with a particular focus on affordable housing and scalable construction solutions.

He has also researched 4D-7D modelling, lifecycle project management, and sustainable construction practices. Combining technical understanding with commercial and strategic insight, Marcis focuses on helping clients and partners adopt modular construction and modern methods of construction in a practical, commercially viable, and globally relevant way.

Christopher Wilson

Chris is a Chartered Civil Engineer with over 20 years of experience delivering complex construction projects across the UK and Middle East. He has a strong background in major commercial, residential, and infrastructure developments, combining technical expertise with effective project leadership.

Chris is known for his problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and commitment to high-quality delivery. He has played key roles on landmark projects including Expo 2020 Dubai, major data centres, and rail infrastructure.

Client-focused and collaborative, Chris excels at building strong relationships and delivering successful, value-driven project outcomes.

Calum Perey

Calum Perey is a Principal Structural Engineer at Cundall, UAE Regional Chair of the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), and a Lecturer at Istituto Marangoni Dubai. A chartered structural engineer with over 10 years of international experience, Calum has worked across Australia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and China, contributing to the design and delivery of complex and high-profile projects across the built environment.

Calum is passionate about pushing the boundaries of engineering through digital design and material efficiency. 

His work explores the integration of form-finding methodologies, composite materials, and data-driven optimisation to deliver high-performance, buildable structures. He is also a strong advocate for sustainable design and is currently co-leading the UAE Structural Embodied Carbon Study, supporting the industry’s transition towards more informed, low-carbon decision-making.

Craig Thackray

Craig Thackray is the Vice President at AECOM responsible for the environment business within the Middle East and Africa. He is also extensively engaged in regional civil and Infrastructure projects particularly within the ports and maritime sector. 

He is a Chartered Engineer/Environmentalist/Manager as well as a Fellow of both The Institution of Civil Engineers and the Chartered Management Institute.