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3D-Printed Office Building

When it comes to unique architecture, the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is second to none. In addition to the world’s tallest building (the Burj Khalifa at 2,717 feet), it is home to what has been billed as the world’s only “7-star” hotel (the Burj Al Arab), as well as a number of man-made islands in unusual shapes including two that are shaped like palm trees and one that appears from the air to depict a map of the world. So it comes as no surprise that the world’s first 3-D printed office building will soon be added to Dubai’s collection of extraordinary structures.

The new project will be more than a chance to showcase unique design, however. As a global hub for innovation, Dubai hopes to be on the ground floor of cutting-edge technologies that have the potential to reshape construction by drastically reducing time, cost and waste.

The 2,000 square foot building (including the furniture inside) will be constructed using a mixture of reinforced concrete, gypsum and plastic that is “printed” layer by layer with a 20-foot tall, 3-D printer. According to officials, it will be the most advanced 3-D printed structure to date, and the first to actually be put into use. The building will act as a temporary headquarters for Dubai’s “Museum of the Future” which is slated to open in 2017.

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