Michael Allen

Michael Allen is a Senior Lecturer in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Design at Washington University in St. Louis’s Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts, and a Lecturer in American Culture Studies. He serves as Executive Director of the National Building Arts Center, a museum focusing on the U.S. built environment. His work bridges scholarly research, heritage conservation, creative social practice, and political activism. Allen directed the Preservation Research Office (2009-2022), leading projects across 14 U.S. states.

Education: Ph.D. dissertation completed at the University of Birmingham (U.K.), focusing on modernist mass housing. Research emphasizes post-WWII housing programs in the U.S. and socialist Europe, exemplified by his collaborative project Housing Blocs. He teaches at the Sumner StudioLab, based at St. Louis’s historic Sumner High School.

Research interests include architectural history, urban design, and the intersection of preservation with social equity. Awards include the 2018 National Trust for Historic Preservation “40 Under 40” honor. Current roles include membership on St. Louis’s Preservation Board since 2021.

Advising and Grants: Directed preservation projects nationally; oversees Housing Blocs, producing an edited volume. Labs/Teams: Sumner StudioLab, National Building Arts Center initiatives. Past endeavors include experimental literary publishing and radical community theater.