The United Arab Emirates is like the cool kid in a Disney movie, if you can ignore a series of societal problems that it represents, you can’t help but be a bit envious. Everything it has is the biggest, the deepest, the curviest, and the coolest. From an island with air conditioned sand to an underground resort to a mall so big that it contains 15 other malls (and the world’s largest gold market), the UAE has provided fertile ground for the imagination of architects, designers, and engineers. Sometimes those dreams have been fevered, but nobody can deny that there is an enormous amount of potential and that a great deal has already been learned about what is or may be possible.
Just this past month, another idea that would have seemed ridiculous only a few years ago was realized as the first 3D printed office building was constructed and a grand opening celebration held to mark its completion. The building, which is located on the grounds of the Emirates Towers, was produced using a 3D printer measuring 20 feet high, 40 feet wide, and 120 feet long and took a grand total of 17 days to complete. The office, designed by the architecture firm Gensler in conjunction with structural and MEP work by Thornton Tomasetti and Syska Hennessy, will house the Dubai Future Foundation the aim of which is, of course, to continue to explore what the future holds for Dubai.
Syska Hennessy is a global consulting, engineering and commissioning firm that has been involved in the development of some of the world’s most technically sophisticated buildings. As early adopters of the 2030 Challenge to achieve carbon neutrality, they have committed to not just continuing business as usual, but rather engage in research designed to push their work to the next level. For them, it’s not enough to have built the first 3D printed office and the team that worked to create it is now interested in learning from it.
Principal and co-managing director for Syska Hennessy Group MENA office in Dubai explained the importance of learning from and continuing to work on projects such as this one:
“It’s clear that 3D printing is revolutionizing the architecture engineering and construction fields. As a leader in innovation, Syska Hennessy Group is always ahead of the curve when it comes to application of new technology in our industry. We knew early on that 3D printing would be a game changer in the AEC space – in a practical sense, it allows building in challenging environments to become easier and more cost effective. We’re excited to be a part of this burgeoning new community within Dubai. This project will serve as a blueprint for the future of the 3D printing and mark the beginning of an important transformation for our industry.”
Discuss this amazing innovation further over in the 3D Printed Office in Dubai forum over at 3DPB.com.
