Mataverde Decking Blog

Garapa Hardwood Selected for Pergola, Outdoor Benches and Decking

Written by Chris Nolan | Tue, Aug 26, 2014 @ 15:08 PM

“Brighton Common, the newly built plaza in Brighton is breathing new life into this Boston neighborhood. The plaza is being named in honor of Mary Talty, the late teacher, resident and community improvement advocate. Garapa hardwood played a dominant role in the natural look of the design of this community project.”

The Brighton neighborhood of Boston has a rich heritage dating back to 1630. Originally part of Watertown in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, later to Newtowne and once known as Little Cambridge during the American Revolution, the Brighton community has continued to evolve and change throughout the centuries. With a lot of community involvement, support from the Mayor of Boston and funding by charitable foundations as well as the city’s park department, Brighton just got a little bit more beautiful. A new plaza has been designed and built and is being warmly embraced by residents of the community.

The project included transforming a basketball court and grassy area that had become a little run down into a vibrant plaza that includes seating, an outdoor stage area, trees and a wood and steel pergola with a permeable awning.  This area is planned for community usage, small concerts, dancing and performances.

The project’s overall design was undertaken by the Halvorson Design Partnership and Tasco Construction, Inc. served as the project contractor. The pavilion itself was designed by Touloukian Inc., architects. You can see the sleek well designed look and feel of the pergola and just know that this is a Touloukian design. This type of mixed materials pergola using various blends of metals and different hardwoods has become a signature look of Touloukian’s style.

In an excellent recent article in thedailyfreepress.com, Jacquelyn Goddard, spokeswoman for the Parks Department of Boston, said the Brighton Common features a wooden steel pergola and a new seating area. Jacquelyn was quoted as saying, “This is a very dense area in the neighborhood of Brighton. It is a neighborhood where most people don’t have a yard, so this particular property, although it’s fairly small, is a very important site for the people who live in the area.”

“We kept a lot of the lawn area, but we took the basketball court out and in place of it, we installed the wooden steel pergola,” Goddard said. “It’s sort of like a multi-use focal point for that park site. Parks are essential to whether or not a neighborhood will thrive. They are community gathering spaces, they are a place for relaxation and recreation for the people of a neighborhood, so they are extremely important to the health and well being of people who live in the city.”

 

Many residents agree that the park was definitely an important improvement for their neighborhood.  People just love the pergola…and why not. The pergola itself is made with a metal structural frame and Garapa hardwood. Garapa is a light colored tropical hardwood that is both beautiful, long lasting and sustainably harvested.  Combined with the metal structural components, the result is a warm and inviting community area.

 

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