ETH Student Project House

Welcome to the first episode of our „Diversity Maker Stories.“ Stefania, a mechanical engineering master’s student, shares her journey from learning about 3D printing to her current project - a mind-driven car. She’s part of a four-person team working on this innovative project, where they measure frontal cortex activity to control the car’s movement. Her practical experience with 3D printing has made her theoretical studies more meaningful. We want to inspire many more female students to start #making in the SPH Makerspace. #3dprinting

Unleash your creativity at Student Project House! Dive into innovation, connect with like-minded students, and turn your ideas into reality! #sph #ethzh #studentprojecthouse #sphadventures

As we wrap up the year, we asked our students what they love most about SPH. The answer was clear: it’s the people.✨ Whether it’s their creativity, ideas, or diverse backgrounds, it’s the community that makes SPH so special. 💡🌍 Thank you for being part of this incredible journey. Here’s to a new year filled with more connections, ideas, and inspiration. Wishing you all a wonderful start to 2025!

Peers & Cheers was a room full of energy, creativity, and inspiring conversations. We had the chance to hear from 23 different projects, each bringing fresh ideas, unique perspectives, and ambitious visions for the future. A special thank you to our guest speaker, @camilameade from @tetocaproject , who shared the journey behind her project: a body literacy wearable for preventive women’s health. By building the first tactile educational system, Project Te Toca is transforming breast examination from something uncertain into a confident monthly habit through an integrated educational ecosystem. Camila also spoke openly about her experience leading a project designed by women, for women, and the realities of building a team around a challenging mission. One of her biggest learnings was the importance of persistence and community. As team members came and went, she continued connecting with people through SPH, workshops, and entrepreneurial spaces, eventually meeting more women who became part of the project’s journey. Another powerful takeaway she shared: every impactful project starts as a small idea. Don’t be afraid to put your work out into the world, share it consistently on LinkedIn, and keep reaching out to people. The right people will eventually connect with your vision and, at worst, someone simply says no. Thank you to everyone who joined us. We hope you left feeling inspired, motivated, and excited about what can happen when ideas are shared openly.

Still riding the momentum from yesterday’s highly anticipated edition of the Investor Insights event. It was inspiring to see students take the stage to pitch a wide range of ideas, met by investors who showed up with curiosity and a genuine interest in discovering new perspectives. This edition placed a dedicated focus on impact investing. We hope the evening created valuable connections and meaningful exchanges, not only for those pitching but also for everyone who joined and continued the conversations during the closing apéro.

Students rate each other’s favourite songs 🎧🔥 Who has the best taste at SPH?👀 #music #challenge #musicchallenge

We were pleased to host Navigate IP – Strategic Patent & Contract Essentials, a hands-on workshop designed to help our students better understand how to turn their innovations into protected assets and build strong, reliable collaborations. A sincere thank you to our excellent speakers, Vera Vallone and Moritz Hönig, for sharing their expertise on intellectual property strategy, from idea to protection and enforcement, as well as the contractual foundations that support successful partnerships. Their combined legal and patent perspectives offered our students valuable, practical guidance for their projects. Thank you as well to all participating students for their active engagement and thoughtful questions, which made the discussions especially lively and insightful. We look forward to continuing to support our students as they develop, protect and bring their innovations to life. Take a look at our upcoming workshops here: https://sph.ethz.ch/whats-on-at-sph?category=281486

First cuts in the wood studio 🌱🪵 Last week we kicked off our first workshop in the wood studio, where students got hands-on with essential tools and built their own hanging wooden plant pots from scratch. Workshop highlights - Learned safe handling of core woodworking tools - Practised measuring, cutting, and sanding techniques - Assembled and finished hanging plant pots - Took home a functional piece made by hand Thanks to everyone who joined us for making this first session such a great start, and to Tim for guiding each step along the way. More wood studio sessions are coming soon. Stay tuned and join us next time 🔧🌿

Can 3D printing waste become a resource instead of rubbish? That question led Félix Ludwig to explore how discarded prints and leftover plastic could be recycled into new filament. The process sounds simple in theory: shred plastic into granules, melt it, and extrude it into usable filament. In practice, every step introduced new challenges. Early tests produced rough surfaces, inconsistent diameters, and frequent clogs. Some issues that seemed overwhelming turned out to have surprisingly simple solutions. For example, drying the plastic granules before melting them eliminated bubbles and dramatically improved print quality in less than an hour. Other challenges required persistence. Even small details, like the shape of individual granules, could disrupt the process and reveal new problems that needed careful testing and adjustment. Projects like this show how innovation often happens through experimentation, iteration, and confronting ideas with real-world conditions. Félix shares detailed insights into his recycling process, experiments, and lessons learned on his website: https://fldw.gitlab.io/tags/recycling/ #Sustainability #Recycling #3DPrinting #CircularEconomy #Innovation

Tick-tock, we built a clock ⏰ Last week, students joined our Make a Digital Clock workshop and turned a box of components into working timepieces. Workshop highlights - Learned safe use of soldering tools - Compared through-hole and SMD components - Practised desoldering and fixing mistakes - Assembled and soldered full PCBs Thanks to our Makerspace Instructors for keeping everything running smoothly and helping everyone leave with a working clock. Would you like to build something yourself? Take a look at our upcoming event on our profile and come and join us!

What if building a startup could be experienced as a game? That question led Wiona Glänzer to create @startup_the_game , a board game designed for the thinkers and innovators who define SPH. Players move through the full startup journey, navigating decisions from early funding to growth and, eventually, exit. SPH proved to be an ideal testing environment. With access to a wide pool of potential players, Wiona was able to observe how people interacted with the game and refine it based on real user behaviour. Presenting the prototype during SPH Open Days helped turn feedback into concrete design decisions. One of the most defining moments came when deciding how to bring the game to life. Rather than pitching it to an established games company, Wiona chose to produce it independently. The choice reflected both the entrepreneurial spirit behind the game and her desire to learn the full production process. What stood out most along the way was the willingness of others to get involved. Play testers shared ideas, introduced new mechanics inspired by games she had never encountered, and helped shape the experience through collaboration. “SPH has allowed me to connect with people interested in similar topics: sharing what you are working on and pitching at events makes it easier for these people to find you.” — Wiona Glänzer Projects like StartupGame show how powerful experimentation becomes when ideas can be tested within an engaged community. #SPH #GameDesign #LearningByDoing #Innovation

Step inside the new wood workshop at the Student Project House 🪵✨ From raw ideas to real builds — this is where creativity takes shape. What would you pick as a first project?