WILLIAM ROBERTS, BLA 2004

Wandering the Cultural Landscape with Nomad Studio

This summer an installation designed by William Roberts and Laura Santín of Nomad Studio at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (CAM) is making waves. Not amber waves of grain-try green waves of sedum, the hardy low-maintenance succulent.

Green Varnish is a colossal blanket of vegetation - more than 6,000 sedum plants cover a pressure-treated plywood-and-poplar framework that nearly fills the 2,250-square-foot courtyard at CAM. Roberts, registered landscape architect, founder and co-director of Nomad, said the project embodies the studio's philosophy "to create unique, memorable spaces and experiences that help foster a connection between users and the landscape."

Roberts has long been interested in how different cultures connect - or disconnect - from nature. After working at MESA's Dallas and Madrid offices for eight years and a seven-month sabbatical during which he and his wife and colleague, Santín, traveled the world, the couple cofounded Nomad Landscape Architecture and Planning in 2009. In collaboration with different studios and individuals across the globe, Nomad works on commissions, design competitions, and art and design installations-all with the goal of fostering a connection between people and nature, as accomplished by Green Varnish.

Read more and view photos of Green Varnish in this month's alumni spotlight.