Middle East Engineering Technologies 3D Villa
- Project Entered by: Middle East Engineering Technologies (MEET)
- Design: Proarc Architects and Engineering Technology
- Client/Owner: GCC Ginco Contracting/MEET
- Main Contractor: GCC Ginco Contracting
- 3D Printing: CyBe Construction
The first 3D printed house in the UAE had 100% of its walls 3D printed onsite in just over two weeks. The house is an insulated two-bedroom home that merges traditional Emirati architecture and local culture with the latest technological advancement in the industry. The 3D printing robot was mounted on an all-terrain crawler that enabled it to move around the construction site and print walls in their exact locations.
The structure of the house is a traditional column-beam frame to ensure safety, however all columns and beams are hidden within the walls and no formwork was necessary. On certain walls the plumbing and electrical ducting were installed within them during printing, further saving time. The environmental benefits came mainly from the material usage: a green mortar that has 60% less embodied carbon than Portland cement. It has higher strength, making it last longer, and the structured layer-by-layer process meant material usage was optimised.
