The Buildings Of Tomorrow: Are They Here Yet?

As 3D printing becomes ubiquitous in several industries, the construction sector is starting to adopt the technology, especially in places like Dubai

- Aarti Nagraj

A yellow-colour one-storey house in Russia generated news headlines across the world in March this year for two reasons. First, the house was 3D printed, and second – more interestingly – the builders said the walls of the building were printed and painted in just 24 hours.

Dubai too gained global attention in May last year when it opened what it claimed was the world’s first 3D printed office. Located adjacent to Emirates Towers, the building is spread across 250 square metres and was constructed using a special mixture of cement and a set of building materials designed and made in the UAE and the United States.

Later in the year, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) also awarded a contract for the design and construction of the UAE’s first building to be fully printed on-site and the first 3D printed laboratory in the world.

The laboratory, part of the Research & Development Centre at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, will be used to conduct research on drones and 3D printing technology.

Worldwide, the 3D printing industry has been booming. A recent report by technology consultancy IDC forecast that global spending on 3D printing would witness a five-year compound annual growth rate of 22.3 per cent, with revenues reaching $28.9bn in 2020.

While the automotive, aerospace and healthcare sectors are seeing the biggest growth, home printing is slowly starting to account for a portion of the market, the firm said.

The uptake of 3D printing in the construction industry, however, is currently at a nascent stage says Dominic Thasarathar, industry strategist for construction, energy and natural resources at Autodesk.