Qatar has launched what is the world’s most ambitious 3D printing construction project: two public schools covering 40,000 m², an area 40 times larger than the largest 3D-printed building in existence today — a horse-riding centre built by Printed Farms in 2023. This initiative is being driven by UCC Holding — a Qatari-based international energy, concessions and construction company — in collaboration with the Qatar Public Works Authority (Ashghal).
COBOD International — a Danish company owned by giants such as General Electric, Holcim, CEMEX and PERI, and a world leader in 3D printing construction — has provided two large customised printers; According to Zawya, they are “roughly the size of a Boeing 737 hangar”, in other words, about 50 m long, 30 m wide and 15 m high. These gigantic machines are the largest of their kind in the world and will enable structures to be printed at an unprecedented speed and precision.
The architecture of the two-storey schools is inspired by the dunes of the Qatari desert. Their curved organic walls would be extremely costly—or simply unfeasible—to build using traditional construction methods. 3D printing allows for this formal freedom, with a drastic reduction in material consumption and waste production and, as is well known, CO₂ emissions.
After months of preparation, material testing and training of the local team, the printing phase is now underway. Interestingly, with the dual objective of optimising the performance of concrete in the desert climate and, at the same time, minimising noise and environmental disturbance, the work is being carried out at night. The schools are expected to be completed by the end of 2025. As you can see, this is an extraordinarily fast construction time for buildings of this type. Finally, according to Manufacture 3D magazine, it is very possible that, when completed, the project will be eligible for the Guinness World Record as the largest structure created using 3D printing technology. We shall see.
Sources: Zawya, Manufacture 3D, COBOD.
Images: COBOD.
