Dr Camilla Allen

I am a landscape architect and historian, but that hasn’t always been the case. My first degree was in illustration and I worked in PR in a busy children’s books publisher in London before deciding to change career. I moved to Sheffield in 2012 to study landscape architecture as I had felt compelled to make a positive contribution to society and the environment through design and, although this seems idealistic, it is also the ethos that drew me towards a career in teaching and research. 

After completing my MA at the University of Sheffield I was awarded a University Scholarship to continue my research on the 20th century forester and environmentalist Richard St. Barbe Baker (1889-1982). My PhD provided me with the opportunity to take a deep dive into the archives in the UK and Canada which formed the basis of my study of the formative years of Baker’s life. My research to date is driven by my interest in how a study of trees and tree planting can help uncover and articulate contemporary and historic values and aspirations. I find that this is both a rich and rewarding field of inquiry which has led to further research on the conservation of California’s coast redwoods, Britain’s tree cathedrals, and the planting of commemorative trees. 

Since completing my thesis I have edited a book on the politics of street trees with Dr Jan Woudstra, worked as Research Associate on an AHRC-funded research project ‘Women of the Welfare Landscape’ led by Professor Luca Csepely-Knorr, and taught at Manchester School of Architecture and the University of Liverpool School of Architecture. These experiences have allowed me to develop my interest and enthusiasm for the history of landscape architecture and the importance of engaging a wider audience with its fascinating story.

Alongside my teaching and research practice, I have also independently led and contributed to projects that reflect both my interest and attachment to Sheffield and the region more broadly including the Sheaf Community Bakery, Sheffield Tree Week and the Sheffield Wheat Experiment. The Sheffield Wheat Experiment aims to create a space for a re-imagining of our food system which has climate resilience, community, social justice and the health of soil and people at its heart, values and aspirations that echo the Department’s themes of ‘hopeful greener futures’ and ‘equality matters’.