Macdonald Wright Architects is an east London architectural practice specialising in well-designed, low energy buildings.

Founded by James Macdonald Wright in 2005, the practice is best known for sensitively marrying high sustainability with cutting-edge design, while taking inspiration from regional vernacular forms and materials.

Macdonald Wright Architects works both alone and in collaboration with other practices when delivering larger projects. Commissions vary in scale from individual pieces of furniture to large country houses and public buildings.

In 2017 Macdonald Wright led the team which won a number of awards including the 2017 RIBA House of the Year.

James Macdonald Wright

James Macdonald Wright has been strongly influenced by exploration of craft based arts and in particular the work of ceramicists. While still at school, Wright worked for the ceramicist Hans Coper and his wife Jane, sparking a lifelong interest in the design and construction of furniture and space. The work of Coper, and his contemporary Lucie Rie, continue to influence Wright’s pristine aesthetic.

Wright graduated with a 1st class degree in Architecture from Huddersfield, taking a diploma at The Bartlett UCL before becoming a Chartered Architect in 1997.

While at the Bartlett, Wright joined Ellis Williams Architects, becoming an associate in 1998, with projects including the Baltic Gallery in Gateshead. In 2001, Wright started working as an independent consultant for a number of clients before founding Macdonald Wright Architects in 2005.