Our Firm

David Wright, Senior Architect

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David is an architect who has specialized in passive solar and environmental and been a practicing architect since 1976. He has worked in Santa Fe, The Sea Ranch, California, and has been based in Nevada City, California since 1979.

He has gained an international reputation for being a pioneer in passive solar architecture and has designed over 400 custom residences across the United States. David is NCARB certified, and been licensed in California, Nevada, New Mexico, Hawaii, Colorado and Wisconsin. His firm has completed many residential, commercial and institutional projects, as well as a number of historical buildings.

He is a cofounder and past president of the Nevada County Land Trust( Bear Yuba Land Trust), and has been a Board member, and Site Architect, for the North Star Historic Conservancy since it was formed to conserve the famous Julia Morgan designed North Star House.

David has received several design awards and his work has been published hundreds of times including, Sunset Magazine, National Geographic, Popular Science, L.A. Times, House Beautiful, Solar Age, Progressive architecture, The Washington Post and Mother Earth News among others. Some of his work is archived in the Smithsonian Institute museum. He has authored or co-authored four books and spoken nationally and internationally many times. David continues to practice in Grass Valley, California and specializes in designing environmentally responsible homes throughout California and Nevada.

Catherine Wright, Office Manager

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Cathy Wright is David’s wife, partner, and a graduate of UC Davis. She has kept the books and helped manage the business for over 35 years (though she doesn’t look that old).

Cathy does the billing and oversees much of the business management decisions for the firm.

Dave & Shade, In-House Staff

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Our awesome production staff looking their professional best.

They do most of the working drawings, information technology, phone monitoring and “in-house critique.”

Megan Wright Matthews

Megan Mathews Photo

Megan is a licensed Structural Engineer, graduate of Cal-Poly in Civil Engineering, with a Masters in structural engineering from Stanford University. She ran her own successful engineering partnership specializing in green building technology and materials for several years. She is now more involved in the architectural side, working as a principal partner with her sister, as Wright Architecture in Marin County. They provide comprehensive architectural and interior design services to Marin and Sonoma Counties, The San Francisco Bay area and beyond. Megan’s technical and artistic background gives her a deep level of design aesthetics. She specializes in the structural engineering, architectural/ interior design and computer 3D modeling. She is a “triple threat’ partner in Wright Architecture, and makes her dad very proud.

Heather Wright Foye

Heather 2018

Heather is a Licensed Architect, graduate of Cal-Poly Architecture, with years of general architectural and planning experience. As the principal partner in Wright Architecture in Marin County, she works together with her sister Megan, providing Architectural Planning and Design, as well as interior design services for California and beyond. Heather, brings a practical humanistic element to their clientele, with a dedication to aesthetics, budget consciousness and timeliness in project delivery; a breath of fresh air in today’s profession world. Wright Architecture enjoys working with selected contractors on a design-build basis. They consult on special projects with David Wright Associates, making their dad very happy.

We work with associated consultants:

David De Vitt – Production Assistance
Lincoln & Long – Civil and Structural Engineering
Conway Engineering – Electrical & Lighting Engineering
Jo McProud – Landscape Architect
Melas Energy Engineering – Mechanical Engineering
Susan Chalpin – Septic Design

California Survey – Surveying
Engineered Fire Systems, Inc. – Fire Sprinkler Design
Premier SIP – Structurally Insulated Panels
Plan-It-Solar – Photo-voltaic Design and Installation
Sierra Solar Systems - Off-grid solar electric systems.
Spectral Engineering – Electrical Engineering and Lighting Design