Dubai has announced plans to build the world's first fully functional 3D printed office building. Mohamed Al Gergawi, the United Arab Emirates Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the National Innovation Committee, said on Tuesday that the one-storey prototype building will have about 2000 square feet of floor space and be printed layer-by-layer using a 20-foot tall printer.

It would then be assembled on site within a few weeks. Interior furniture and structural components would also be built through 3D printing with reinforced concrete, gypsum reinforced with glass fiber, and plastic.

Those behind the project have said using this printing method will reduce costs and construction time by at least 50%, and expect construction waste to drop by 30-60%.

The work is to be carried out by Chinese 3D-printing firm Winsun Global, who have a history of large-scale 3D-printed structures, including a six-storey apartment building. Other major firms will also contribute to the Dubai project, including Gensler, Thornton Tomasetti, and Syska Hennessy Group.

No precise timeframe for completion has been given, although the office will initially house the staff of the Museum of the Future, which is set to open in 2017.