Wright has deep experience both as a project designer and project manager, so he approaches the practice of architecture and planning holistically — connecting management with design, context with building, and collaboration with process. For him, it is about creating spaces that are authentically responsive to their environments and community. With this integrated approach, Wright’s experience the last 25 years spans a wide variety of project types, including urban design and mixed-use, residential high-rise, civic and performing arts, transportation, and higher education. Equally comfortable with large and small projects, Wright’s acute sense of scale and vision for detail has helped lead several of his large scale master planning projects through to the design and construction of many individual buildings and landscapes.
A native Californian, Wright began his career in the office of Berkeley Professor Sim Van Der Ryn working on sustainable planning and design long before it became a mainstream goal of architectural design and planning. Since then his career and teaching have taken him to Italy, Japan, Switzerland, and Great Britain. His extensive experience abroad led to his appreciation of architecture as a form of cultural expression and diversity. A LEED accredited professional, Wright’s approach to sustainability is still informed by those early days in Berkeley — focused in equal measure on appropriate technology, functional programming, and the elements of site and place.
Wright holds a Masters in Architecture from UC Berkeley, as well as a BA in Architecture — with a Minor in History of the Built Environment. Committed to advancing the practice of architecture, Wright has taught at various universities throughout his career, including California College of the Arts, UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design, and SCI-Arc’s European program in Vico Morcote. He is also a frequent speaker at national conferences including the AIA, SCUP, APWA, and ULI.