ETH Student Project House
FOUNDRY Embraces the Mess to Rebrand the ETH Student Project House
The ETH Student Project House, a collaboration space for the thriving creative community within ETH Zurich, partnered with FOUNDRY Zurich | Berlin | New York, Switzerland’s most international creative tribe to rebrand and relaunch
Being at the leading edge of science, engineering and innovation has always been synonymous with ETH Zurich. With names like Albert Einstein on the alumni list, how could it not? ETH Student Project House, a space built for the creative community within ETH, shares the same DNA of innovation but takes a more hands-on approach. At the Student Project House, students can work in an interdisciplinary manner on their own projects in parallel with their studies (so no extra credit points). It is a space where they are encouraged to “think, make and break, show and connect”.
“Working with ETH is a matter of great pride, given their rich innovation-filled history. But for us, ETH has never been about history. Rather the opposite. We believe that the Student Project House represents the future of creative problem-solving. Unlike traditional education, the process of learning by doing is more important than the outcome. In fact, it is the outcome. We wanted ETH students to embrace this idea and encourage them to dive into this joyful, messy and rewarding learning journey.” – FOUNDRY CEO and Founder, Sacha Moser
FOUNDRY was selected to lead the rebrand of the ETH Student Project House. But more than a fresh coat of paint, the task involved interpreting the Student Project House’s vision to change the way students think of learning and innovation in the 21st century. One look inside at their 3D printers, laser cutters and sticky note-covered walls conveys an approach that stands in sharp contrast to conventional classroom.
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The theme of a ‘joyfully messy journey to creation’ also addressed a core challenge for the Student Project House – making the space more approachable. Dr Lucie Rejman, Head of ETH Student Project House explains, “It was important to reflect how open and welcoming the space is, especially for students who might not walk in the door with big ideas.
We want all students to feel a sense of belonging to this community. The way Foundry built in the importance of exploring, making mistakes and following different paths from their concept all the way through to the final output resonated strongly with our vision.’
The rebrand of the Student Project House culminated in the launch of a refreshed website, creative applications on social media platforms and across both ETH Student Project House locations in Zurich. This was supported with a campus-wide messaging campaign that built on the joy of discovery in chaos. Sacha Moser adds, “In more ways than one, the Student Project House is about getting your hands dirty. It’s about stepping out of your comfort zone and being comfortable with being a little uncomfortable”
