From 1982 to 2013, Curtis Illingworth ’70 served on the design faculty of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design, California Polytechnic State University. He has received numerous awards for excellence as principal architect and owner of Curtis Illingworth Architecture. Earlier (1978-1984), he worked for Patrick Sullivan Associates, where he was a leader in designing new and more humane models for correctional facilities architecture.
Since his ordination by the PC(USA) San Francisco presbytery in 1971, Curtis has also been active in the life of the church. He served three churches in a large recreational area in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. His interest in tentmaking ministry led him back to school to pursue degrees in architecture, and while a practicing architect he served several churches in California and Nevada as interim pastor and parish associate. He has recently completed a manuscript tracing the relationship of Christian architecture and worship.
Curtis’ community service has included sitting on the City of San Luis Obispo (California) Architectural Review Commission, membership in the (San Luis) Obispo Beautiful Committee, and regularly giving talks on architecture for the Lucia Mar School District.
Most recently, Curtis Illingworth Architecture has been involved in the research, planning, and design of religious buildings throughout central California. Curtis’ past work includes more than 30 church projects and numerous correctional facilities, commercial projects, and residences. Recently he designed the Orthodox Church of the Annunciation in Orcutt, Calif., and the seismic retrofit and remodeling of First Presbyterian Church, San Luis Obispo.
In addition to designing construction and remodeling projects of churches in the Presbyterian, Orthodox, United Methodist, Episcopal, Evangelical Free, Congregational, and independent traditions—ranging from 600-seat sanctuaries to 14,000-square-foot church complexes—Curtis has provided designs and construction in the area of liturgical arts.
Curtis received his bachelor’s from Grove City College (1967); master of divinity from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (1970), where he received the Keith Prize in Homiletics; bachelor’s in architecture from California Polytechnic State University (1978); and master’s of architecture from the University of California at Berkeley (1985). An award-winning architect, he was also named Faculty Academic Advisor of the Year in 2010 for his outstanding service to students at “Cal Poly,” where he chaired the academic advising committee.
Curtis retired from teaching in 2013. He and his wife, Mary, now own a farm and wine-grape vineyard in Paso Robles, Calif.