Dubai says opens world's first functioning 3D-printed office

Record ID: 102224

  • Title: Dubai says opens world's first functioning 3D-printed office
  • Date: 24th May 2016
  • Summary: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (MAY 23, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** PEOPLE WALKING PAST ENTRANCE TO 3D-PRINTED OFFICE PEOPLE INSIDE 3D-PRINTED BUILDING SIGN READING (English/Arabic): "DUBAI FUTURE FOUNDATION" (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CEO OF DUBAI FUTURE FOUNDATION, SAIF AL ALEELI, SAYING: "What distinguishes this building from any other (3D printed structure) simply is that it is intended for use, and it is therefore a process of merging the technology of 3D printing and the requirements of a building that is designed for use, complete with electricity, water, air conditioning, and lighting among other things. This building in essence is the first (3D printed building) made to be used, that is functional, and it is the temporary headquarters of the Dubai Future Foundation. It was printed in just 17 days and was assembled in just two days on site." VARIOUS OF STAFF AND VISITORS SITTING AND TALKING INSIDE 3D-PRINTED BUILDING VARIOUS OF MAN AND WOMAN POINTING AT LARGE SCREENS SHOWING IMAGES OF THE MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE WINDOW OF 3D PRINTED BUILDING VARIOUS OF HAND STATUE (SOUNDBITE) (ARABIC) CEO OF DUBAI FUTURE FOUNDATION, SAIF AL ALEELI, SAYING: "If we compared this building, which stands at 250 square metre of built-up area, if we compare it to a building (of the same size) built according to more traditional practices, we saved more than 70 percent in labour costs." DUBAI RULER, SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN RASHED AL MAKTOUM, AND HIS SONS LISTENING TO A PRESENTATION BY THE DUBAI FUTURE FOUNDATION CEO ON THE PROCESS OF 3D PRINTING SHEIKH MOHAMMED WALKING THROUGH THE OFFICE WITH MINISTER GERGAWI SHEIKH MOHAMMED SIGNING HIS NAME ON A LARGE SCREEN INSIDE 3D PRINTED OFFICE SCREEN SHOWING A PROPOSED MODEL OF THE 3D PRINTED OFFICE WITH TEXT READING (Arabic): "THE BUILDING IS EQUIPPED WITH THE LATEST SECURITY, SAFETY AND TECHNOLOGY." (SOUNDBITE) (ARABIC) MINSTER OF CABINET AFFAIRS AND THE FUTURE, MOHAMMED AL GERGAWI, SAYING: "With the belief in mankind, a futuristic outlook and ambition, we will reach Mars and even beyond. In the end this is about the limitless abilities of mankind to achieve. Today, this building is printed, tomorrow we will have 3D printed equipment and tools. We also have a strategy for 3D printing for the health sector. What we want is to change with the world. But what we also want is to change the world along with us." VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF THE 3D PRINTED OFFICE
  • Embargoed: 8th June 2016 11:59
  • Keywords: 3D printing Dubai office opening UAE
  • Location: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
  • City: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
  • Country: United Arab Emirates
  • Topics: Information Technologies / Computer Sciences,Science
  • Reuters ID: LVA0034J60191
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Dubai has opened what it said was the world's first functioning 3D-printed office building, part of a drive by the Gulf's main tourism and business hub to develop technology that cuts costs and saves time.
    The printers - used industrially and also on a smaller scale to make digitally designed, three-dimensional objects from plastic - have not been used much for building.
    This one used a special mixture of cement, a Dubai government statement said, and reliability tests were done in Britain and China.
    The one-storey prototype building, with floor space of about 250 square metres (2,700 square feet), used a 20-foot (6-metre) by 120-foot by 40-foot printer, the government said, adding that it also has fully functional offices and staff.
    "The future is based on 3D printing, whether we are talking about printing buildings, or printing clothes, or printing equipment, or printing food, or even printing body parts," said the UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, Mohammed Gergawi.
    According to Gergawi, the project falls in line with an ambitious long-term strategy set by Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum to ensure that 25 percent of Dubai's buildings will be 3D-printed by 2030.
    The arc-shaped office, built in 17 days and costing about $140,000 USD, will be the temporary headquarters of Dubai Future Foundation - the company behind the project - and is in the centre of the city, near the Dubai International Financial Centre.
    The CEO of Dubai Future Foundation, Saif al Aleeli, said that they had saved more than 70 percent of labour costs by using 3D printing instead of traditional building methods.
    "If we compared this building, which stands at 250 square metre of built-up area, if we compare it to a building (of the same size) built according to more traditional practices, we saved more than 70 percent in labour costs," he said.
    The machine responsible for printing the office building is a massive warehouse-sized printer that stands at around 20-feet tall, 120 feet long and 40 feet wide, Al Aleeli added.
    The printer also features an automated "robotic arm" to carry out the printing.
    Gergawi said that studies estimated the technique could cut building time by 50-70 percent and labour costs by 50-80 percent. Dubai's strategy was to have 25 percent of the buildings in the emirate printed by 2030, he said.
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