3D printing is all over the place and I'm definitely not surprised to see Reuters reporting that the world's first 3D printed building was opened this week in Dubai.

Dubai is known for its construction technology, and it is pretty obvious that they are the ones to practically use 3D printing technology to actually build houses. However, what surprises me is that, they took just 17 days to build (or do I have to say 'print') this 2,700 square foot single-story building!

According to a recent post on Engadget, the building was built using a huge 3D printer which is around 20-ft in height, and a special mix of concrete, fiber reinforced plastic and glass fiber reinforced gypsum was used to print (oh, I mean construct) the building.

No wonder Dubai used the future of printing technology to actually build their 'Musuem of the Future'. Said that, temporarily, the building will serve as the headquarters for the Dubai Future Foundation, according to Engadget. The newly 3D printed building is situated on the premises of Emirates Towers.

While the building was literally printed using a huge 20 ft tall printer, it actually took a small team of seven installers, 10 electricians, a few other specialists and 1 person to make sure the printer was functioning properly, reports Inhabitat.com.

As a result, the building was constructed not only swiftly, but also with nearly 50 per cent cost savings when compared to conventional construction methods.

While this looks like a perfect start, Mohamed Al Gergawi, the UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs, has revealed that 25 per cent of the buildings in the emirate would be built using 3D printing technology by the year 2030. Now, that's a target!

By the way, when shall we Indians be able to witness our first 3D printed building? Maybe, I am just another Indian waiting with great hopes and excitement!

[Images Credit: Inhabit]

Tags : 3D Printing, Dubai 3D Printed Building