The Orico Hotel danced its way into my life through a course at Louisiana Tech University called ExD Studio. In this class, I was paired with an interior design student, and together we were tasked with creating the full branding and physical design of a hotel. My role as the graphic designer was to come up with the name, establish the brand standards, and develop the overall look and feel.

That is where The Orico Hotel started. Set on the banks of the Trinity River in West Dallas, I wanted to honor the traditional Hispanic community that has long been rooted in that area. During my research, I came across the Folklorico dance, a cultural tradition in Latino communities that has a strong presence in Dallas with multiple studios dedicated to preserving and teaching it.