"Personal and approachable" - Curt Fentress, Fentress Architects

Filmed by Bespoke Careers at the World Architecture Festival in Berlin, Curt Fentress, Principal of Fentress Architects, discusses the importance of creativity and innovation, his design ethos and company culture.

What CV advice would you give a candidate?

A one-page resumé that shows how creative and passionate you are about architecture. Show me what you’ve done beyond school, a track record of what you have and a portfolio of interesting things.  

What type of portfolio do you prefer to receive?

Both – I like to sit and go over a hard copy portfolio with candidates, but digital copies are good for us to review and see if we want to interview. 

What makes a good first impression? 

Show me that you’re passionate about architecture and creative and innovative in your design.

What questions should people ask?

I think asking how you fit in to the organisation is a good question, we can tell you where we see your talents and previous experience fitting into our operations. 

What is your design ethos in three words? 

Design for people.

What do you do for fun? 

Every year we take the whole office on buses on a ski trip to the mountains. We have a party in Denver with everyone – it’s nice to all be together. 

Can you tell us something interesting about your practice? 

I think people are sometimes surprised by our portfolio, that we’re based in Denver, Colorado and have designed Denver Airport, the National Marine Corps museum and the Jackson Hole Museum of Wildlife Art. I think people are sometimes shocked that we have such interesting, creative and varied projects.