Fans of the future, listen up…

The world’s first ever fully functional 3D-printed office was inaugurated in Dubai on Monday. It can be found down at Emirates Towers, and will serve as a temporary office to the Dubai Future Foundation (apt).

The whole building only took 17 days to print, and was installed on site within two days.

The 3D-printed office was constructed using a special mixture of cement and building materials from both the UAE and the United States, with all the materials having undergone rigorous testing in China and the United Kingdom to ensure that they were reliable for construction.

لدينا استراتيجية طويلة المدى للطباعة ثلاثية الأبعاد وبحلول 2030 ستتم طباعة 25% من مباني دبي باستخدام هذه التقنية pic.twitter.com/LU96QD6beu — HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) May 23, 2016

The building was also designed in an arc shape, further increasing its stability, with a floorspace of 250 square metres offering space for exhibitions and workshops as well as other events.

In order to print the parts of the building, a 3D-printer measuring 20 feet high, 120 feet long and 40 feet wide was used. Staff-wise, the printer only required one person to monitor the function of the printer, seven people to install the building components on site and 10 electricians and specialists to take care of the engineering – cutting the labour cost by more than 50% compared to buildings of similar size.

Here’s a video showing the process behind the printing and erecting of the building:

Video: Office of the Future in #Dubai, world’s first 3D printed office https://t.co/aR4xxnl8i3 — Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) May 24, 2016

Speaking at the opening of the neatly-dubbed “Office of the Future”, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai said, “We announce today the opening of the first 3D-printed office in the world, after less than a month of launching Dubai’s 3D printing strategy which showcases a modern model of construction.

“This is an experience we present to the world on implementing future technology in our lives, and it represents a new milestone for the UAE as a global leader in strategic achievements.”

Sheikh Mohammed stands proudly in front of the Office of the Future.

سعدت اليوم بافتتاح “مكتب المستقبل” أول مكتب مطبوع بالكامل بتقنية الطباعة ثلاثية الأبعاد .. pic.twitter.com/GirzHZ78m2 — HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) May 23, 2016

Sheikh Mohammed continued, “We implement what we plan, and we pursue actions, not theories. The rapidly changing world requires us to accelerate our pace of development, for history does not recognise our plans but our achievements.”

Here are some more shots of the building…

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