Notable as a pioneer of the curtain wall design, he was once described as "the Frank Lloyd Wright of Kansas City".

[2] There are approximately 30 examples of his work still extant in Kansas City, Missouri where Curtiss spent his career, including his best known design, the Boley Clothing Company Building.

[5] Curtiss designed the Boley Clothing Company Building in Kansas City, which is renowned as "one of the first glass curtain wall structures in the world.

"[6] The six-story building also features cantilever floor slabs, cast iron structural detailing, and terra cotta decorative elements.

The Historic American Buildings Survey described Curtiss' residence for Bernard Corrigan as "an important regional example of the Prairie Style" and "among the earliest residential structures in Kansas City to make extensive use of reinforced concrete.