ENTIRE OFFICE PRINTED IN JUST OVER A FORTNIGHT
posted 13 June 2016 at 11:45:59
A decidedly space age-looking 3D printed office building has
joined the burgeoning Dubai skyline. And the entire construction took just 17
days to complete!
Using a giant, 6 metre-tall 3D printer, with a base of 36m x
12m, a solo technician supervised the ambitious print, while seven workers put
the parts together onsite and the usual sparks and plumbers ensured that the
office functions as well as any traditional building. The office takes up 250
square metres of ground space and was printed using a special mixture of cement
and other building materials manufactured in the UAE and the USA.
The hi-tech collaboration between Dubai and WinSun Global,
along with architectural and engineering firms Gensler, Thornton Thomasetti and
Syska Hennessy, reputedly cost 50% less in labour fees than a conventional
building site of a similar size would have, and the office went up in a
fraction of the time.
The initiative is part of the United Arab Emirates' mission
to become a world leader in 3D printing technology by 2030.
Image: Courtesy of Government of Dubai Media Office