A Little Time, a Lasting Difference: Meet Rico Florez

Learning Along the Way

Rico moved to the United States from Colombia when he was 10 years old. His interest in architecture began with a high school drafting class, but his career was anything but linear. Rico would spend years working in restaurants before returning to school to study AutoCAD. 

Restaurant work taught him many lessons he still uses today—how to communicate with people, solve problems, build relationships, and help someone who is just getting started. Long before he was guiding new architecture technicians, he was helping younger servers find their footing in the restaurant business. 

His first drafting opportunity meant taking a pay cut, so Rico continued waiting tables while gaining experience at a small Lexington firm. Eventually, a former colleague connected him with an opportunity at Gray. 

Rico joined Gray in 2006 and continued building his skills alongside experienced team members who were willing to share what they knew. 

He jokes that he and his longtime mentor John Deller met while working on the pyramids, each assigned to a different side. Beneath the joke is an appreciation for the years of knowledge around him and a desire to pass those lessons forward. 

Helping the Future Crew Find Their Footing

Rico’s approach to mentoring started with a simple observation: new team members needed guidance that reflected the work they would actually be doing. 

When he noticed his new peers learning from residential drafting tutorials, he decided to create something more relevant. Using a small industrial building from a previous project, he developed an orientation approach that introduced new team members to Gray’s work and drawing practices. He wasn’t asked to do this, but he saw the need and wanted to help. 

“I think we should guide everyone who comes through here,” Rico says. 

He understands that people arrive with different backgrounds. Some have studied architecture and design, others have attended technical school, and some bring experience from other companies and industries. Each person has something to contribute but also needs time to learn how their new team works. 

Rico’s passion for teaching has grown into something of its own. After he spent time working one-on-one with a newer team member, word spread. One colleague invited another, and the conversations eventually included participants from different groups and offices. The team members gave their gathering a name: the Future Crew. 

Rico structures the lessons based on questions people bring. If someone is working through dimensioning, he pulls up a project he completed and walks through it as an example. If a team member brings up something unfamiliar, it becomes an opportunity to explore it together. Rico’s approach intentionally mirrors how he learned the Gray Way. 

When Rico is coaching team members, he doesn’t simply show them how to do something. He wants people to understand why they are doing something so they can carry that knowledge into their next assignment. For Rico, the explanation matters as much as the answer. 

“We can teach a lot of things in five minutes,” he says. 

He has also helped share knowledge through Tech Talks, informal subject matter expert-led sessions aiming to share knowledge with newer team members. Rico serves as an early presenter and encourages other technicians to contribute their expertise. Whether he’s speaking to a group or answering one person’s question, his motivation stays the same. 

“To me, it’s an investment in the future of the techs and the future of Gray.” 

The learning opportunities go both ways. Rico is just as willing to learn from someone starting their career as he is to a colleague with decades of experience.

Making Space for Connection

Rico puts the same energy into helping people get to know one another as he does teaching them technical concepts. Sometimes, that means stepping away from drawings and gathering around a meal. 

Rico looks back fondly at a time when his studio shared food with the Food & Beverage integration group. During the meal, someone on his team turned to him and asked what the integration group did. The question was simple, but for Rico, it was also a sign that the gathering was doing exactly what he had hoped—bridging the gap between two teams who might otherwise have never connected. 

“I was like, bingo, this is what it’s all about.” 

These moments matter greatly to Rico, particularly as Gray grows, and teams work across more offices and locations. 

Rico is more than happy to give people a reason to gather—whether it’s a shared lunch, a friendly competition, or a company tradition. 

When the team got a new 3D printer, he helped spark a holiday ornament-printing contest that brought studios and BIM team members together. Another favorite memory involves a cookie contest during a group trip to a project in Indiana. (Rico added dulce de leche to his cookies and came away with a victory that, by his own account, surprised him as much as everyone else.) 

Rico is equally enthusiastic about the Gray tailgate, where he has served on the Rib Crew and helped with drawing event maps. The planning, preparation, and time together are all part of what makes the tradition meaningful to him. 

Rico wants people to enjoy the company of their coworkers. He knows there is serious work to do, and he believes there’s room for laughter while doing it. 

“You can be professional and have fun too,” he says. 

Passing It Forward

Helping others has long been a source of enjoyment for Rico, from coaching new servers to guiding young architecture technicians. He likes knowing that a little of his time can make someone else’s work easier and give them something to build on. Over the years, the support Gray has given him professionally and personally has added another reason to keep sharing his time and experience: gratitude. 

“I know I can never repay [Gray] for what they’ve done for me,” he says, “so I try to do the best I can to mentor others and help out wherever I can.” 

As experienced colleagues retire and new team members arrive, Rico wants to keep their knowledge moving forward. He also wants new team members to experience the encouragement, friendship, and altruistic culture that has made his own career with Gray so impactful. 

His advice is simple: “Don’t ever forget where you started and the steps you took to get here—that’s important.” 

For Rico, remembering where he started means making time for the next person with a question, inviting another colleague to the table, and sharing what he has learned. And if a conversation starts with a visit to his candy bowl, that’s welcome, too.