Does your company need a new office building? You may be able to print it and then assemble it!!
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In a move that Gulf News says will make Dubai the global center of architectural technology, the world’s first 3-D printed office building is becoming a reality.
The United Arab Emirates’ National Innovation Committee has announced plans to produce a 2,000-square foot building. Using a 20-foot tall 3-D printer, the building parts will be printed and then assembled on-site in layers, due to their size. The building parts will be composed of a mixture of specially reinforced concrete, glass fiber reinforced gypsum, and fiber-reinforced plastic. All interior furniture, detailing, and structural components will also be built using 3-D printing technology.
According to Gulf News, 3-D printing a building can reduce construction time by 50 percent to 70 percent and reduce labor costs by 50 percent to 80 percent. 3-D construction is also projected to save up to 60 percent on construction waste.
The interior space reflects input from experts in workplace design and is open and flexible to allow for a multiple of uses and a range of employee group sizes.
Mohammed Abdulla Al Gergawi, minister of State for Cabinet Affairs of the Federal Government of the United Arab Emirates and the chairman of UAE National Innovation Committee, told Gulf News, “This building will be a testimony to the efficiency and creativity of 3D printing technology.… This is the first step of many more to come.”
See several views of how the new building will look here.
I’m curious if such buildings can get the LEED ratings that are so desired these days.