After receiving his architecture license in 1990, Darrick worked for the resort town of Silverthorne, Colorado as the community development director and then as the town manager. Later, he was the owner and principal of a small architecture firm in Frisco Colorado winning many local awards for his designs. While managing his own office, he worked part time as a high school teacher of architecture classes in Breckenridge, Colorado. He eventually ran for public office and was elected to the town council in the town where he was previously the town manager.

Late in his career and in preparation for teaching at the university level, Darrick returned to school at the University of Texas. In December 2012, his research on the sense of touch in the work of Alvar Aalto, provided the opportunity for Darrick to meet for two days with Juhani Pallasmaa at Taliesin West where Pallasmaa was the scholar in residence for the winter.