The senior project manager at Dublin-based construction consultants Duke McCaffrey is currently overseeing Coram Deo – a development of new homes neighbouring Holy Trinity Church that, once complete, will make it easier for people to live and serve in the area and raise funds for further acts of ministry – but has form for exercising his engineering expertise to enhance lives and communities.

Before Covid cut short a planned career break, the University College Cork alumnus spent time volunteering with disaster relief charity All Hands and Hearts in the Philippines, applying his construction skills to the rebuilding of two schools left devastated by Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018.

As a team leader, David assisted in creating new classrooms, retrofitting facilities and landscaping at the stricken sites, which enabled children to return from temporary structures situated on busy roadways to safe learning environments.

The month-long busman’s holiday was an experience the 30-year-old still holds dear.

“Part of the appeal of being in the construction industry is the enjoyment you get from seeing a site transformed and knowing you played a hand in it,” said David, reflecting on his trip to Asia in the wake of a tropical cyclone that claimed the lives of more than 130 people and caused €3.36 billion in damage. “That sense of satisfaction was all the greater knowing I had really contributed to a community in need in the Philippines.”

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Although such benevolent builds are less common in a professional setting, David is delighted to now be rolling up his sleeves on a diverse portfolio of work at Duke McCaffrey.

“As a relatively small team of 20-plus people we pack a hefty punch,” he added. “Since joining the business at the start of this year, I’ve found myself working across diverse sectors – from the residential project at Holy Trinity to nursing homes, hotels and education settings – and I’m enjoying the variety and challenge of doing so.