3D In The UAE: Dubai's Latest Architectural Innovation Is A 3D-Printed Office Building

The world has watched Dubai build all manner of architectural artwork...first by rising phoenix-like to form a bustling desert oasis in record time, then erecting sights like the massive Burj Khalifa tower, or islands in the shape of the entire world.  Now, they're setting the stage for a new kind of innovative intrigue...

Your future workspace could be one of these cozy little rounded rectangles.
BTW, that's the Museum of the Future in the background.
(Image courtesy techspot.com.)

According to sciencealert.com, Dubai will soon become host to the world's first 3D-printed office building.  Slated to cover some 200 meters, it will be constructed near Dubai's Museum of the Future.  The museum's staff will use the 3D-printed structure as their temporary headquarters.

The printer that will complete this task is 6.1 meters (20 feet) tall.  It will print "layers" of the building from a combination of reinforced concrete, glass-fiber-reinforced gypsum, and fiber-reinforced plastic which will then be assembled on-site.  Structural components and furniture inside the building will also all be created via the 3D-printing process, according to Architectural Digest.

We're not sure what the honeycomb design does,
but it's probably something cool and futuristic.
(Image courtesy 3ders.org.)

H.E. Mohammed Al Gergawi, UAE Minister Of Cabinet Affairs, stated in a press release, “This building will be a testimony to the efficiency and creativity of 3D printing technology, which we believe will play a major role in reshaping construction and design sectors...We aim to take advantage of this growth by becoming a global hub for innovation and 3D printing. This is the first step of many more to come.”

With 3D-printed housing becoming an option (in various forms of efficacy) from Sardinia to Singapore, this trend could be a major boon to future architecture and construction.  The engineers speculate that the 3D-printing process could offer an impressive 50 to 80 percent reduced labor costs, 50 to 70 percent reduced production times, and 30 to 60 per cent reduced construction waste.

Of course it's cheaper...3D printers can't slack off, or be drunk on the job.
(Image courtesy newsfactor.com.)

No completion date has yet been set, but it will be interesting to watch the project develop and possibly pioneer all sorts of new ideas for future 3D construction.

As the UAE Prime Minister (and Ruler of Dubai) Sheikh Mohammed heralds, “The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it, and execute it. Here in the UAE, we think differently. While others try to predict the future, we create it.”

That's no joke.  Thirty years ago, all this was sand dunes.
(Image courtesy techtimes.com.)

Thanks, oil!
(Image courtesy twitter.com.)