The “first 3D-printed office in the world” opened in Dubai on Monday, according to the UAE state news agency WAM.
The pod-like structures, on the grounds of the Emirates Towers office block and hotel, will house the temporary offices of the Dubai Future Foundation, it was reported.
A 3D-printer with automated robotic arm – measuring 20 feet high, 120 feet long and 40 feet wide – was used to print the building.
“The labour involved in the printing process included one staff to monitor the function of the printer, in addition to a group of seven people to install the building components on site as well as a team of 10 electricians and specialists to take care of the mechanical and electrical engineering. As a result, the labour cost was cut by more than 50% compared to conventional buildings of similar size,” the news agency said.
The full model took 17 days to print, and was installed on site within two days. Additional mobile printers were also located at the construction site.
The 3D-printed space covers up to 250 square metres, with offices and areas for exhibitions and workshops as well as other events. It was constructed using a mixture of cement and a set of building materials designed and made in the UAE and the United States.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said the UAE has emerged as one of the major incubators of innovation and future technology in the world today, WAM reported.
“We implement what we plan, and we pursue actions not theories. The rapidly changing world requires us to accelerate our pace of development, for history does not recognize our plans but our achievements,” Sheikh Mohammed said on the opening of the 3D-printed “Office of the Future”.
The opening comes after last month’s launch of the ‘Dubai 3D Printing Strategy’, and the forecast that a quarter of buildings in Dubai will have 3D-printed elements by 2030.
Sheikh Mohammed said that the competitive advantages of 3D printing – in terms of lower costs and faster delivery – will make the UAE one of the most important sustainable economic hubs, WAM reported.