Qatar-based international construction and energy company UCC Holding announced on Wednesday that it has commenced the printing phase of the 3D Printed Schools Project, dubbed the world’s largest construction project using 3D printing technology, in partnership with the Public Works Authority (Ashghal).
The project involves the construction of two public schools using 3D printing technology, according to a UCC Holding press statement. Each of the two schools will span 20,000 square metres (sqm), bringing the combined built-up area to 40,000 sqm—forty times larger than the largest 3D-printed building constructed to date, the press statement said.
The two schools are part of second package of the Qatar Schools Development Programme under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model for a total of 14 schools. The agreement for Package 2 was signed by UCC Holding and Ashgal in March 2024.
The two-storey schools are being constructed on individual 100 x 100 metre plots using two BODXL printers, supplied by Denmark-based COBOD. Measuring 50 metres long, 30 metres wide, and 15 metres high, the printers are among the largest of their kind globally—roughly equivalent in size to a Boeing 737 hangar, according to the press statement.
Over the past eight months, a dedicated 3D construction team consisting of architects, civil engineers, material scientists, and printer technicians conducted over 100 full-scale test prints using a BOD2 printer at a dedicated trial site in Doha. These trials focused on refining concrete mix designs, testing performance under local climate conditions, and developing a customised nozzle for smooth material extrusion.
In May 2025, the team completed an intensive training programme in collaboration with COBOD engineers, covering printer operation, structural layering strategies, print sequencing, and real-time quality control. The two schools are expected to be completed by the end of 2025, the statement noted.