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Dubai opens world’s first 3D-printed office

3D Printing

Dubai opens world’s first 3D-printed office

The 2,690-sf structure took 17 days to print. City officials say the labor cost was only half as much as similar size conventional buildings.


By Mike Chamernik, Associate Editor | May 26, 2016
Dubai opens world’s first 3D-printed office

Photo: Government of Dubai

The world’s first 3D-printed office opened at the Emirates Towers complex in Dubai. 

It only took 17 days to print the basic form of the 2,690-sf office, which was made of a layered cement mixture. Additional internal and external finishing time was required. Gizmag reports that the printing was most likely done in sections and assembled on site. 

The crew for the project was relatively small. Seven workers installed building components on the site, and 10 electricians and specialists handled the mechanical and electrical engineering. One worker monitored the printer.

According to the Government of Dubai, the labor cost of the project was 50% lower than conventional buildings of the same size.

One of the companies that Dubai commissioned for the printing was WinSun, a Shanghai-based design engineering firm that has created 3D-printed houses and apartment buildings.

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