Leading Dutch group CyBe Construction said it has been selected as the technology provider for the construction of 3D printed houses in Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SRTI Park).

The company's technology will help build the first of the 3D printed houses inside the park by the third quarter of this year.

The entire house will be printed with state-of-the-art technology and the design will stay true to its UAE-roots, said the Dutch firm.

This move aims to establish Sharjah as the preferred destination for future architecture as the construction sector is gradually changing globally, it added.

The project comes as a result of the triple helix collaboration of government, private, and academia, where American University of Sharjah (AUS) will provide support in research and talent.

The university is working on the development of this technology and training students through conducting applied scientific research by students, faculty members and a number of researchers from specialised companies, including MEET, which focuses on the construction of 3D printed structures.

A group of students from the Faculty of Engineering at AUS will get hands-on training on this technique.

By introducing 3D printing, SRTI Park is creating a proactive and supportive environment for experiments and research in the field of future building technologies and fourth generation technologies.

The technology is considered to be one of the most innovative and reliable ways to build an integrated residential unit through the use of digital machineries.

In addition, the technology is expected to reduce the costs of collection, transport and construction.

SRTI Park CEO Hussain Al Mahmoudi said: "We are delighted to launch this ambitious project, which translates the vision of the park and its ambitious strategy to introduce all kinds of reliable future technologies to serve and facilitate people."

"In order to become a regional development centre for 3D printing construction, we aim to create a suitable research and development environment for the private, academic and public sector to benefit," he stated.

Al Mahmoudi said this project comes at a time when the cost of traditional construction is increasing.
"This type of construction has many advantages such as easy access to complex designs and simple modification with access to parts of different sizes, which results in shorter duration of implementation and cost," he added.-TradeArabia News Service