The Middle East's city of superlatives has done it again, Dubai has welcomed the world's first 3D-printed office building to its glittering skyline, heralding an advent in the use of additive manufacturing in construction.
Courtesy UAE Innovation Committee.
3D printing
A gigantic 3D printer with a base of 36m by 12m and a height of 6m was used to print the building using robotic technology to extrude the construction materials.
The entire construction - which was announced in June 2015 as part of Dubai's ambitious 3D Printing Strategy - was completed within 17 days with a single technician monitoring the printer, seven workers installing the structure's components on-site and a number of electrical and other specialists to ensure the 3D-printed office can function as well as any other.
Dubai's 3D Printing Strategy is aimed at boosting the UAE as an innovator and a leader in the technology, with a mind to making the UAE and Dubai a global centre for 3D printing by 2030 concentrating on medical, construction and consumer production.
At the official opening of the 3D-printed office Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: "We announce today the opening of the first 3D-printed office in the world, after less than one month of launching Dubai 3D printing strategy which showcases a modern model of construction.
"This is an experience we present to the world on utilising future technology in people lives. It also represents a new milestone for the UAE as a global leader in strategic achievements."
The 3D-printed office exemplifies the potential for additive manufacturing in construction and architecture, with the technology having been previously the reserve of architectural prototyping and now presenting itself as another real-world construction technology.