Reinaldo “Ray” Acosta
By Joey Mazzaferro
Baker Barrios Architects, Inc. has provided an endowed scholarship in honor of Reinaldo “Ray” Acosta to the University of Florida College of Design, Construction and Planning.
Acosta was a founding partner at Baker Barrios, which is celebrating 25 years of business. They provide architecture, planning, interior design, landscape architecture and structural engineering services. The company’s headquarters is located in Orlando with offices in Tampa and Nashville.
“We are delighted that Baker Barrios has decided to remember Ray Acosta in this way,” UF DCP Dean Chimay Anumba stated. “The scholarship will make a big difference to our architecture students.”
The $30,000 endowment will support the School of Architecture’s CityLab Orlando students. This scholarship is a need-based scholarship, per the wishes of the Acosta family, and is targeted to a CityLab student likely in their final year.
“Ray represented our soul and our conscience,” Baker Barrios principal Carlos Barrios, AIA, explained. “He stood for fairness, kindness and inclusiveness.”
Baker Barrios believes that the strength of every firm is in its people and Acosta definitely exemplified that in his work and attitude around the office.
“He was truly a part of the team and that’s what he really exuded,” Baker Barrios principal Tyler Kirby said. “He was always helping. If he walked by and saw that someone was struggling with a project, he’d put aside his own deadlines and help them. I’ve never met anyone like that. He just had this extra special way about him that was non-threatening, and no ego – a very genuine person.”
In the spirit of Acosta’s generosity with others, Baker Barrios wants this endowed scholarship to help students as their friend helped his colleagues.
“Finding scholarships for graduate students is difficult so we are very thankful to Baker Barrios for establishing a scholarship fund for CityLab-Orlando students in Ray Acosta’s name,” CityLab Orlando program director Frank Bosworth said. “He was a significant contributor to the architectural development of Orlando and the scholarship will benefit the aspirations of the city’s future architects.”