Xu Mengjia, a newly graduated Master’s student from Tsinghua’s Academy of Arts & Design tells the story of how the seed planted by a childhood dream blossomed under the tenacity of deep commitment and passion.
As car ownership in China grows, more and more people are interested in modified cars, giving rise to a ‘garage culture.’ They value the experience of learning about and refitting vehicles themselves. However, due to a lack of space, equipment, and expertise, many lack the opportunity to enjoy the pleasure of modifying their personal vehicles.
Noticing this gap in the car market, Xu decided to design a ‘shared garage’ for vehicle lovers. In his master’s dissertation, Xu introduces two innovative concepts — ‘the shared garage’ and ‘the Kit car.’
"I was very into cars even as a child. It’s been my dream to build a car myself that I can drive around," said Xu Mengjia.
In his vision, the shared garage serves as a DIY experience center where customers can learn about the different components and mechanical principles of vehicles, make their own modified cars, and experience driving them.
He further investigates the use of what he names ‘Kit cars’ in teaching people about vehicles. He believes that these two concepts can encourage drivers to learn about their vehicles through practice, and also provide a lifestyle and potentially a new mode of entertainment for the new generation.
In order to better illustrate his design, Xu overcame various difficulties and even build an actual Kit car himself. It was not an easy project. With a limited budget, Xu had to design many car parts himself.
After a semester of hard work, he finished modelling, polishing, and calibrating all by himself. "This project is especially meaningful in a time of ready-made products," said Yan Yang, Professor of the Department of Industrial Design, "It is very inspiring that he managed to build a car of high-quality despite of the limitations under a global pandemic."
As children we were often fascinated by the vast possibilities the world had to offer instead of its daunting limitations. From rocket scientists to musicians to data analysts and every ambition in between, embracing a child’s creativity, imagination and curiosity will never stand in the way.
Source: Academy of Arts & Design
Translator: Jiang Muyun
