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A building created by a giant 3D printer is about to become a reality in Dubai.
The office in the United Arab Emirates will be the world’s first fully functional 3D-printed building and every piece of furniture will be made using 3D printing technology too.
His Excellency Mohamed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs for the UAE, Chairman of the Executive Office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, and Chairman of Dubai Holding said: “The idea of 3D printing buildings was once a dream, but today it has become a reality.
“We have achieved a new milestone in the history of construction and real estate; the first ever 3D printed office and the most advanced, fully functional 3D-printed building ever attempted.
“We are keen to use the latest technologies to simplify people’s lives and to serve them better. This project is part of our overall innovation strategy to create new designs and new solutions in education, healthcare and cities. Our goal is to increase the happiness and wellbeing of our residents and to pioneer new solutions for the world.”
The office will be printed layer-by-layer by a 20ft 3D printer and placed next to the ‘Museum of the Future’, where it will become fully functional by providing a temporary HQ for its staff.
It will be approximately 2,000 sq ft and will be printed in a factory before being assembled on site in a matter of weeks, opening to the public in late October.
All structural components, detailing and furniture will be built using 3D printing technology combining a mixture of Special Reinforced Concrete (SRC), Glass Fiber Reinforced Gypsum(GRG) and Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP).
This combination will make it the most advanced 3D printed structure ever built at this scale and the first to be put into actual use.
Experts estimate that 3D printing technology can reduce production times by 50 to 70 per cent, reduce labour costs by 50 to 80 per cent, and can save between 30 and 60 per cent of construction waste, which means it is thought to save money and be more sustainable.
One of the team members in Dubai working on the project said: “We intend to learn a great deal from this building.
“It is a full scale, fully functioning experiment. The lessons we will learn from it give us a significant advantage when it comes to understanding how 3D-printed buildings perform, how they can best be used, and how they work best in the construction and development supply chain. This might be the first, but it won’t be the last.”
