OFFICE OF THE FUTURE

KILLA DESIGN
INTRODUCTION
HE WORLD’S FIRST 3D PRINTED OFFICE

Located at the foot of the prestigious Emirates

Towers, the Office of the Future showcases a
range of unique designs that make it more
sustainable, attractive, and comfortable to work
in.
Killa Design has developed the world’s first fully
functional and permanently occupied 3D printed
office in Dubai. Office of the Future building is
currently the home for the Dubai Future
Foundation as well as an exhibition space and
incubator for future emerging technologies in the
region. The initiative comes as part of a Dubai 3-
D printing strategy launched in the same year,
which focuses on the development of 3D printing
to improve people’s lives in the construction and
medical sectors.
The building is 250 square metres, about a fifth
the size of an Olympic swimming pool, and
contains a workshop, an office and a classroom.
DESIGN
OFFICE OF THE FUTURE

The office complex radiates around a tree-shaded cafe courtyard. It comprises a partnership lounge &
gallery for exhibitions, events, and workshops, a flexible space for team brainstorming and design work
and private meeting rooms for quiet work. A series of openings throughout the project bring natural
daylight deep into space while allowing occupants to remain connected to the outside environment.
The building layout has been designed to facilitate a mix of creative interactions, quite reflective work,
and serendipitous meetings.
CONSTRUCTION
FIRST IN THE WORLD

The “Office of the Future” is first 3D-printed building of its

kind. A 3D-printer measuring 20 feet high, 120 feet long and
40 feet wide was used to print the building. The printer
features an automated robotic arm to implement printing
process.

The entire structure was printed using a giant cement printer,

then assembled on site. Printing took 17 days and was
installed on in 2 days. Subsequent work on the building
services, interiors, and landscape took approximately 3
months.
MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES
NNOVATIVE MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY

Concrete 3D printers and “normal” FDM 3D printers are both

similar in some ways and very different in others. In fact, the
similarity between plastic FDM printers and concrete printers can
be summed up in basically two words: material extrusion. Just
like “normal” FDM 3D printers, concrete 3D printers also operate
using X, Y and Z axis.
Obviously, the foundation is needed before houses/buildings can
be built above the surface. One of the first steps in preparing
the construction site for a concrete 3D printer to arrive is to
flatten it so that rails for the printer can be installed. Apart
from creating a surface flat, foundations are needed before the
process of printing concrete can start. 
The mix ratio of 3D printing concrete was optimized and is PO
42.5 cement was used for the concrete. The fine aggregate used
was sand with a fineness modulus of 2.8, the coarse aggregate
had a particle size of 5–15 mm, and the admixture used was fly
ash. The amount of accelerator was about 3–5% to the total
amount of cement in the concrete. The printed concrete reached
the initial setting in 5–10 minutes. The optimized 3D printing
concrete material enabled continuous printing without
NNOVATIVE DESIGN
USTAINBALE AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

The building is also extremely energy efficient. It is

oriented to maximise visibility and natural light, but to
shade the inside through digitally sculpted overhangs
above the windows. This minimise direct solar heating
and reduces the need for air conditioning and lighting.
Further sustainability features include 100% LED lighting,
responsive building systems, green landscaping, and low
energy air conditioning and cooling.
The most unique feature of this structure is that it was
built using disruptive technology,

That’s what we are most proud about. Of course, it

started in a building that’s not that large inside but it’s
great in value and in significance.”

The building’s thick white shell keeps the building cool.

Even in the hottest parts of summer, it’s extremely cool

and efficient inside which means we need to use less
electricity and emit less carbon