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Lindsay Gaiser began designing structures with LEGO when she was seven and caught a lifetime building bug. 

“I’ve wanted to be an architect since I was in fourth grade,” said the senior Architecture major and Italian minor from Sykesville, Maryland. 

As an aspiring architect, Gaiser finds inspiration in buildings like schools and libraries, places where people can gather, share knowledge, and build community. She leaned into the practice-based approach taught by her professors during the completion of projects like the duplex she designed for one of her courses. Home to both a cellist and a painter, her vision for the duplex design aimed to balance competing considerations – natural, abundant light for the painter, an acoustically adequate space for the cellist – while also ensuring an aesthetically appealing structure that blended well with the neighborhood 

Gaiser worked first with a pencil sketch then moved to digital design tools, a practice she says helped her produce better, more focused work. “I designed a space inside the home that could accommodate the cellist’s needs while ensuring the painter’s portion of the structure could take advantage of the day’s light so they could both work,” she said. “I really enjoyed this project.”

She also took advantage of the variety of educational programs available abroad as an RWU student. Her Study Abroad program in Florence, Italy opened her eyes to the world, she said, exposing her to centuries-old architectural marvels and a culture that would reshape her worldview. While she improved her understanding and appreciation of architecture and its evolution, she worked steadily on improving her language fluency in Italian. 

“I’m conversational now, though I’m most happy with the building and design ideas I brought back with me,” she said. “Florence pushed me well beyond my boundaries, and reaffirmed my commitment to designing the kinds of spaces that might inspire others.” 

After that experience abroad, she sought inspiration from established masters around the globe like Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, whose works emphasize the importance of natural forms and human emotion in his designs.

Gaiser also completed an internship at Vision3 Architects in Providence and will begin another internship at JMT Architecture in Maryland this summer, using these opportunities to apply what she learned. She said the internship and study abroad opportunities helped improve her understanding of the visual language architects use to conceive their projects.

“It’s important to continue to learn as much as possible from as many experienced professionals as possible, so I can develop the kinds of projects that will leave a lasting impression,” she said.

Throughout her time at RWU, Gaiser – who also served as a first-year Architecture studio mentor – flourished as an architect and a scholar through the support of RWU faculty, including Professor of Architecture Ruben Alcolea. “The high standard to which he held his students pushed me to continuously improve my thinking and practice,” she said. 

Next fall, Gaiser will attend Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri where she’ll pursue a Master of Architecture and continue seeking to create memorable shared spaces.