3-D printing technology is advancing rapidly and is being used in a wide variety of applications. The United Arab Emirates National Innovation Committee has announced that it plans to construct the world’s first 3-D printed office building.
Other teams have built the exterior walls of buildings using 3-D printing, but this will be the first to print the interior walls and furniture as well. Dubai officials say it will be the most advanced 3-D printed structure ever built at that scale and the first to be put into use.
WinSun Global, a company that 3-D printed an apartment building in China in late 2014, will lead the construction of the building. Gensler, Thornton Thomasetti, and Syska Hennessy will also be involved in the project.
The building will be one story tall and will measure 2,000 square feet. It will be built with a 20-foot 3-D printer. Fiber-reinforced plastic, fiber-reinforced gypsum, and special reinforced concrete will be used to create the building’s structural and decorative elements. The team expects 3-D printing to reduce building time by 50 to 70 percent and labor costs by 50 to 80 percent.
Officials say the building will showcase the efficiency and creativity of 3-D printing technology. They believe it will play a major role in reshaping the fields of design and construction. The United Arab Emirates hopes to become a global hub for innovation and 3-D printing.
After the building is constructed, it will serve as the temporary headquarters of a $136 million “Museum of the Future.” The museum is expected to open in 2017.