World's First Functional 3D Printed Office

You must be aware of colour printers that print documents in varied hues. How about offices being printed by them? It sounds strange but it's true. From Netherlands to Dubai, these 3D printers are increasingly changing the way we construct buildings. And more recently, Dubai built an office using a large 3D printer which is 20x120x40 ft, which printed the structure with a cement mixture layer-by-layer. Designed by architectural firm Gensler under the government initiative called the Dubai Future Foundation, the compact 2600-square-foot 3D office took 17 days to be printed. It doesn't come as a surprise as some of the world's best modern architectural wonders like the Burj Khalifa have been built in Dubai.

Apart from saving on time, the 3D printing saved up to 80 per cent in labour costs and up to 60 per cent in construction waste. The office takes on a futuristic look of The Flintstones's Bedrock.

The construction materials printed from the 3D printer were first designed on a computer and were reproduced using various materials like metal, plastic and concrete. The workforce included a single staff member monitoring the printer's progress. Seven people were involved in the installation of the building components, and 10 electricians and other specialists handled more technical issues.

The 3D building occupies prime real estate between the city's iconic twin Emirates Towers and the Dubai International Financial Centre.