Back in June of 2015, Dubai announced their plans to design and build the World’s first fully functional 3D printed office building. On May 23, 2016, that office building has officially opened, as announced by the Government of Dubai. The building was a part of Dubai’s 3d Printing Strategy, which they hope will propel the country to World leader status in that arena.

The 2,700 sf (250 square meter) office was made of a special concrete and other building materials that were designed and made in both Dubai and the US. The arches of the building were utilized to make sure the building was structurally sound. The designers made sure to incorporate key components of typical buildings in their design, as well, including electricity water, data and telephone, and A/C.

So, although it took almost exactly a year for the building to open, the building didn’t take nearly that much time to be completed. According to Dubai leaders, it took just 17 days to print the building and 2 additional days to assemble the parts in the field. Designers utilized a massive 20 feet high by 120 feet long by 40 feet wide 3D-printer, with an automated robotic arm.

Total labor for the project included 1 person to monitor the printer, 7 people to install the building components, and 10 electricians and other specialists to complete the mechanicals and electrical work. All in all, Dubai estimates that the total labor was reduced by over 50% versus a typical office building of similar size.

In the video below, shared by exitlabs, you can see some renderings of how the building components were printed and some actual footage from the installation on-site.

Hello, World!

Full story: Mohammed inaugurates world’s first 3D Printed Office Building | Government of Duba