This year’s Irish Construction Excellence Awards saw the dynamic and flexible construction consultancy Duke McCaffrey Consulting Ltd shortlisted in two of its categories. Those were the Residential Project of the Year for Northern Cross in Dublin, and Construction Project Manager for Alicia Torres Castro who picked up the Judges Silver Award.
Established by business partners Kevin Duke and Joe McCaffrey in 2015, Duke McCaffrey Consulting (DMC) Ltd is a global practice of Quantity Surveyors and Project Managers which operates across the US, Europe and the Middle East in 11 industry sectors.
The company is headquartered at 127 Baggot Street Lower, Dublin 2, where it employs a team of 20 full-time staff with its other offices located in Dubai and New York.
Since joining the DMC team in the Irish capital a little over two years ago, Alicia Torres Castro has become an integral part of a firm which delivers world-leading, innovative and transformational projects.
Building Ireland touched base with the Senior Project Manager to hear about her own professional background, the projects she’s currently immersed in with DMC and what sets it aside from the competition.
“From bridges to underground stations in Hong Kong, sports arenas in Brazil and one of the tallest buildings in the world in Dubai, throughout my career I have been fortunate to deliver a range of ground-breaking projects in multiple countries with some incredibly talented people.
In 2014, I gained my Master’s in Civil and Structural Engineering. Through my experience of working on complex schemes with large teams, my role evolved into leading on projects directly with the client, coordinating and facilitating design and construction teams and getting into the fundamentals of commercial understanding of projects.
“I am passionate about learning and professional development and whilst I love engineering, a career that has provided me with excellent technical skills, I was gaining another passion through project management. Project management gives you a wider perspective of projects where you need to consider other challenges such as commerciality and finances, legal issues and regulations, and as the lead consultant, it is possible to shape new and innovative ways of doing things. It really felt like a natural next step for me.
“In 2014 and 2018, I achieved chartered status within the Spanish Institution of Civil Engineers and the ICE (UK) and went on to undertake my Diploma in Project Management at UCD, Dublin. All three of these things gave me the credibility needed to take on a leadership role for construction projects.
“In the past two years, I have been leading on multiple schemes for my employer, DMC. Working across a mix of building types from residential schemes, retail, and care homes, I have led no less than 12 projects with a construction value of circa €350m+ in the past 12 months. As a qualified engineer, I am able to add value to my role as a construction project manager, bringing a deep understanding of design, construction and engineering.”
Right now, the Spain native is working on a number of different projects for the firm, including a residential scheme in Tallaght, a nursing home in Wicklow and a hotel in Dublin city.
Earlier this year, Alicia’s commitment to excellence and a passion for sustainable and innovative construction practices was recognised on a national scale when she won the Judges Silver Award in the Construction Project Manager category at the 2024 ICE Awards.
Representing Duke McCaffrey Consulting Ltd, she was very much at the forefront as Brady Hill Developments embarked on and, ultimately, delivered the €41m Northern Cross project on Malahide Road.
Having broken ground in March 2021, the residential scheme project, which was aimed to address the pressing need for turnkey affordable homes in North Dublin, was fully completed in September 2023 and featured a total of 191 units.
Alicia’s experience and expertise rang through on the project and she implemented comprehensive Project Execution Planning (PEP), a Stakeholder Engagement Plan and Matrix, and robust risk management strategies, to help ensure that it progressed seamlessly.
Now, it’s on to newer developments for DMC’s Senior Project Manager and she says she’s delighted to be part of a company that is clearly moving in the right direction, as it continues to expand its international presence.
“DMC is a small firm but it’s growing very quickly,” Alicia pointed out. “We are involved in a large number of sectors and growing internationally as well, having opened an office in New York recently to cover the American market and we’re also doing business in the Middle East.
“My focus is Ireland, but it’s great to have involvement in some jobs here and there every now and again.
“As a Project Manager in DMC, we work tirelessly with clients. We are not only Project Managers and Quantity Surveyors but also construction consultants that work with clients throughout the different stages of a project giving them advise on the most suitable ways to deliver projects with success.”
So, all of that considered, the burning question is what has been the secret behind DMC’s success to date?
How has a small start-up born at the tail end of an economic recession grown into what is now a global practice of expert Quantity Surveyors and Project Managers which holds an excellent reputation among its clients.
As Alicia sees it, DMC is a firm that looks to make things easy on its clients and it’s something which has stood to it since its inception.
“We are a team and work very close with each other in a very collaborative manner and that’s translated to clients and the people that we work with.
“We are very flexible and our aim is to be helpful and make things easy to our clients.”
She concluded: “We work hard to understand all parties’ requirements and come to agreements that are beneficial for all”
Duke McCaffrey Consulting Ltd
127 Baggot Street Lower,
Dublin 2,
D02 F634.
Tel: +353 1 567 7300
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, October 2024, Vol 10 No 10
