Using a giant 3D printer measuring six metres high, 36.5 metres long and 12 metres wide, Dubai's Future Foundation has built the world's first 3D-printed office. The sci-fi-looking structure is set to house the Dubai Future Foundation, a breeding ground for innovation that is part of an ambitious plan aiming to make Dubai an incubator for emerging technologies.
The office, which is also a much-publicised launch project for the Dubai Future Foundation, covers 250 square metres and was constructed layer by layer, in just 17 days, using a special mix of concrete, fibre-reinforced plastic and glass fibre-reinforced gypsum.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Foundation, says that such a technique will allow faster, cheaper and better construction, and he predicts that as much as 25 per cent of Dubai's new buildings could be 3D printed by 2030.
"We are shaping the city of the future, be it in terms of construction, transportation, energy, healthcare, education, or finance, all in an effort to turn Dubai into an open laboratory and a role model for the rest of the world. We want the Emirate to be the top global destination to experiment with and implement new technologies that can revolutionise the way we live," said Sheikh Hamdan.
Besides the speed and efficiency of building with 3D-print technology, dramatically lower labour costs should also make it especially alluring to developers. The Foundation's office building required only one individual to monitor the function of the printer, seven people to install the building components on site and a team of ten electricians and specialists to manage the mechanical, electrical and plumbing works, reportedly cutting expenses by as much as half compared to conventional buildings of a similar size.
Uncertainties in the oil market and wider economic concerns do not seem to be slowing down Dubai's determination to forge ahead with lofty goals. And while bricks and mortar may not be on the endangered list just yet, going forwards 3D printing will likely be adopted on ever more and ever larger projects.
Next on Dubai's 3D construction list is a large section of the metallic, egg-shaped Museum of the Future. Scheduled to open in 2018, this ambitious undertaking aims to actively encourage designers, researchers, scientists, entrepreneurs and financiers to come together and collaborate in the development of new technologies, showcasing innovations that can manage complex social and economic systems, no doubt a preemption to Dubai's future.
