Why a Career Move into Modern Methods of Construction Helped Build the Work-Life Balance and ICF Expertise of Altherm’s GM
How did the General Manager at Altherm ICF transition into working in Insulated Concrete Formwork (ICF) and MMC – and in doing so improve his work-life balance and knowledge of building performance and design at scale?
The Irish construction industry offers a host of opportunities for experienced professionals to meaningfully impact the future of communities across the country. Using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), professionals with lean, green, and digital skillsets can contribute to building a new generation of high-quality and energy efficient houses, schools, healthcare facilities, and other infrastructure.
It’s the main reason Neville Champ, General Manager at Altherm ICF, decided to transition to the building sector after more than a decade working for Mitsubishi Power Europe. Overseas postings in Japan and Spain in his early career gave Neville a good understanding of global engineering standards. However, the regular travel began to weigh heavily on Neville after he returned home to Ireland and started his family.
“The technology I was consulting on with Mitsubishi was being phased out and the nature of the job meant I had a lot of international travel. I knew there was amazing growth opportunities in MMC. At the time Altherm ICF was being built from scratch and I could feel the construction industry was finally ‘waking up’ in the aftermath of the 2008 Crash, so I wanted to be in on the ground with something.”
General Manager at Altherm ICF
In 2018, Neville took the plunge and started in his role with Altherm ICF.
The company supplies Insulated Concrete Formwork (ICF) products to residential developments, with the technology facilitating more productive building while incurring lower costs. The hollow-block wall system is made of flame-retardant expanded polystyrene panels, connected by polypropylene webs, while retaining an empty core. The blocks are stacked in rows and the cavities filled with concrete to form a superstructure complete with in-built insulation and foundations in as little as 12 days.
Keen to learn every area of operations from the outset, Neville helped to set up the factory in Santry, Co. Dublin, sourcing equipment for manufacturing ICF and getting Agrément certification. With the facility up and running by late 2019, the conditions seemed ideal for Altherm ICF to begin servicing construction sector clients.
Until COVID-19 hit Ireland, beginning a series of lockdowns restricting building activity. What could you do, as the General Manager of a construction company when there are no ongoing construction projects? Neville turned to upskilling himself, starting with a Master of Business Administration in University College of Dublin (UCD).
“I wanted to learn more about the business world. The course was incredibly tough and it took all of my free time, but it did sharpen my productivity and appetite for learning more. I needed that for my postgraduate [course] at TU.”
General Manager at Altherm ICF
Just months after finishing at UCD, Neville started a new programme in Building Performance (Energy Efficiency in Design) at Technological University (TU) Dublin. The course focuses on elements such as Nearly Zero Energy Building policy and technologies; energy modelling tools; and hygrothermal risk assessment and thermal bridge calculations in measuring building performance.
This focus proved vital to Neville’s understanding of how ICF technology provides energy efficiency solutions in modern building, with ample opportunity for Neville to apply this knowledge day to day.
“[After my Master’s] I wanted to learn something specific to Altherm. The course gave me a deeper understanding of U-values, thermal modelling, and other technical concepts relevant to the production and use of ICF products.”
General Manager at Altherm ICF
Altherm ICF, aware of the potential benefits of Neville upskilling in energy efficiency in building design, invested in his training with allocated study time. With the programme application coming through the Springboard+ government education initiative, Altherm ICF also paid for the balance of Neville's course fees not covered by Springboard+.
This upskilling has directly impacted Neville’s management of two recent projects and how his team applied advanced building performance knowledge to deliver results.
The first project was on a block of residential apartments in Killiney, South Dublin. The client’s priorities included speedy construction, consistency across units, and long-term energy efficiency. ICF offered the ideal solution, combining structural robustness with rapid build time and airtightness. Neville and the Altherm ICF team worked closely with design consultants and installers to ensure thermal continuity at junctions and openings, providing technical guidance on how best to practically implement the design.
The outcome was a high-quality apartment block that met performance targets, giving the developer both predictable build times with lasting energy efficiency for residents.
The second project was duplexes in Greystones, Co. Wicklow. The development presented a different challenge, with more complex architectural features requiring additional thermal modelling to demonstrate compliance and optimise performance.
With the knowledge gained from his course in Building Performance and Energy Efficiency in Design, Neville was able to get involved directly with the modelling results, understanding their practical implications and ensuring the recommended detailing was integrated into the construction. This collaborative approach gave the design team confidence while also strengthening onsite delivery.
Taken together, these two projects show how ICF adapts seamlessly to both large-scale, multi-unit developments and architecturally demanding housing. They also highlight Altherm’s commitment to ongoing improvement, ensuring every project, no matter the scale or complexity, is optimised for efficiency, durability, and sustainability.
Neville has embraced huge change since he started considering how to adapt his career to spend more time with family. From ‘getting in on the ground’ with a startup to achieving postgraduate certification and now helping to lead in “bringing a new level of quality to the Irish construction market”, moving into the building sector has proven a success. A significant factor in this success? Continuous learning and upskilling.
“Upskilling yourself is incredibly important. Stay learning. The construction industry is moving so quickly – standards are changing, technologies are coming online, and you want to be able to use these to your advantage. And use any opportunities that come from that.”
General Manager at Altherm ICF
