He designed many civic, commercial, ecclesiastical, and residential buildings in Adelaide city centre and its suburbs, in styles influenced by French and Italian Renaissance, as well as Neoclassical architecture.

He was the son of Stephen Amand Wright, who was Master of Ordnance at the Tower of London,[1] and Lucy Elizabeth, née Tomkins.

[1] The brothers worked as land agents and joined the rush to the Victorian goldfields, but by 1852 he had returned to Adelaide, where he married Agnes Jane Stuckey (née Rippingville).

[3] Wright gave talks in which he proposed adopting elements of some Italian styles of architecture, such as flat rather than steeply-pitched roofs, and suggested that large rooms were cooler in hot summers.

His building designs were influenced by French, Italian Renaissance architecture, with his best works showing more Neoclassical elements.

[1] In 1858 Wright had submitted the winning design for a competition for Adelaide Town Hall, but he was mayor at that time, so declined the prize.

[2] The headquarters for the old Bank of South Australia (which became defunct in 1892[6]) was designed by Wright in collaboration with Melbourne-based architect Lloyd Tayler.

[7] A public campaign that raised A$250,000[2] saved the building, and it was bought by the Dunstan government and renamed Edmund Wright House.

[3] Wright bought and extended the cottage formerly rented by Stuckey 26 Palmer Place, North Adelaide (later the site of "the Walkley house", designed prominent Australian architect Robin Boyd in 1955).

[11] In 2004, the Danvers Studio won Edmund Wright Heritage Awards in two categories: Outstanding Contribution, and Adaptive Re-use (Non-Residential).

[12] Grieve Gillett Architects won in the Heritage Place (Non Residential) category, for their upgrade of the Torrens Parade Ground building.

[14] In the same year, Artlab Australia commendation in the Heritage Trades and Products category for their restoration of a painted ceiling in the historic Ayers House.

[15] Kevin & Mardi Verrion won the Heritage Homes category, for Brock House – Conservation, and David Johnson for his reconstruction of Scotch College front gates.