Twenty Volunteers Built a Two-Story Art Car in Six Months. Only a Few of Them Knew How to Weld.
⏱ Time to Complete: 6 months (February - August 2025)
🔧 Tools Used: MIG/TIG Welders, Metal Fabrication Tools, Yard Space, Wood Shop
💡 Key Learning: Big projects need space, tools, and people willing to teach
🎯 Skill Level: Mixed - experienced builders teaching first-timers
📍 Location: Norfolk (Open Studio Flex Space)
The Vision
Doug and our local Burning Man community had been experimenting with making front porch builds out at Burning Man for a few years. In early 2025, Doug decided it was time to go big: a mobile two-story electric suburban front porch art car that could travel cross-country to Black Rock Desert.
The vision was called the "Welcome Home Art Car." A welcoming structure complete with columns, rocking chairs, and lights. All powered by an electric vehicle.
But turning that vision into reality required space for a large-scale build, welding equipment, metalworking tools, and a team willing to learn new skills they'd never used before.
The Build
In February 2025, the project kicked off at 757 Makerspace Norfolk using an Open Studio Flex Space - a dedicated large-format area designed for oversized builds like vehicles, boats, and art installations.
Doug started with a trailer base. Then came the steel framing for the first-floor walls and trusses. To save weight on the second story, the team switched to aluminum fabrication.
What started as one person's idea quickly became a community effort. Members and volunteers - many with zero metalworking experience - showed up to learn. Experienced makers taught newcomers how to weld, how to paint metal, how to problem-solve when plans changed mid-build.
The original plan was to integrate a Nissan Leaf electric motor to make the art car self-propelled. As the Burning Man deadline approached and time got tight, the team adapted. They pivoted to a tow-behind design with a small garage to house an electric vehicle that could pull it around the playa.
Twenty different people contributed. Some welded for the first time. Others painted, fabricated, or helped with design. The project proved that ambitious builds don't require expertise upfront - just space, tools, and people willing to show up and learn by doing.
The Outcome
Six months after starting, the "Welcome Home Art Car" made its cross-country journey to Burning Man 2025. The two-story electric suburban front porch - complete with working lights, classical columns, and rocking chairs - became a gathering place in the desert.
More importantly, it proved what's possible when a community builds together. Volunteers who started knowing nothing about metalwork finished the summer with real fabrication skills.
Here's what made it possible:
Space for large-scale builds. The Open Studio Flex Space at 757 Makerspace Norfolk gave the team room to work on a two-story structure indoors, regardless of weather.
Access to professional welding and fabrication equipment. MIG welders, TIG welders, metal cutting and bending tools, paint booth - everything needed for a complex metal build.
Experienced makers willing to teach. When volunteers showed up with no welding experience, members who knew how stepped in to teach. Real projects, real deadlines, real learning.
Flexibility to adapt. When the Nissan Leaf motor plan didn't work out, the team had space and time to pivot to a tow-behind design without scrapping months of work.
The "Welcome Home Art Car" showcased what makes 757 Makerspace different: it's not just tool access. It's a community of people who build together, teach each other, and make ambitious ideas real.
Have an ambitious project?
If you have an idea that's too big to build alone, or you want to learn new skills alongside experienced makers, let's talk.
👉 Schedule Your Free Tour we'll show you the space (including our Open Studio Flex Space for large builds), walk through what tools are available, and have an honest conversation about whether we're the right fit for your project.