{"id":2000,"date":"2021-02-17T22:31:48","date_gmt":"2021-02-17T22:31:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/?p=2000"},"modified":"2022-03-07T20:51:23","modified_gmt":"2022-03-07T20:51:23","slug":"synergy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/synergy\/","title":{"rendered":"Beautiful Synergy: Pergola\u2019s Design Integrates Nature, People, and History"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n

As Regional Manager of Operations for Metroparks Toledo, Chris Smalley\u2019s work is an extension of his values. In collaboration with his colleagues, he <\/span>creates and preserves public greenspaces, <\/span>honors local history, and <\/span>promotes wellbeing for his fellow Ohioans. This beautiful synergy is on full display at Middlegrounds Park, one of the sites he oversees.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tucked along the Maumee River in downtown Toledo, Middlegrounds is a 28-acre greenspace enjoyed by runners, fishermen and women, dog owners, and cyclists. Red fox, squirrel, and deer sightings are common.<\/span> The park also offers stunning views of the Anthony Wayne Bridge, a local landmark. \u201cThe bridge is such a signature piece,\u201d Chris said during a recent phone interview. \u201cIn warmer weather, folks come out to take photos and paint.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A railroad roundhouse was once situated on the site. In keeping with Metroparks Toledo\u2019s synergistic approach, that history is reflected in the park\u2019s layout and structures, including the Forever Redwood Fan-Shaped Pergola<\/a> that Chris and his team installed in January 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBack in the day, the roundhouse was where the railroad would bring the railcars and engines to spin and pivot for repair and adjustment,\u201d Chris explained. After completing a full circle, the restored cars would return to the main track. \u201cWhen designing the park, we made a conscious effort to keep the roundhouse aesthetic while valuing the open space.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"View<\/p>\n

View of the park and the railroad roundhouse footprint from above, <\/span><\/i>before the pergola was installed. <\/span><\/i>(<\/span>Credit:<\/span><\/i> Google Maps)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The park\u2019s education and event structure, the Rotary Railroad Roundhouse, follows the circular footprint as does the adjacent outdoor plaza. Initially the plaza\u2019s tables were shaded by umbrellas, but strong winds off the Maumee necessitated a sturdier shade solution. As luck would have it, the answer was close by.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA park manager had installed a Forever Redwood Fan Pergola at Swan Creek,\u201d Chris said, referring to another of Metroparks’s greenspaces. \u201cIt looked pretty sharp.\u201d As well, he thought the Fan Pergola\u2019s curved geometry would align with the roundhouse aesthetic of Middlegrounds.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Forever<\/a>Forever Redwood Fan Pergola<\/a> at Swan Creek. Photo courtesy of Metroparks Toledo.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

After a few email exchanges with Forever Redwood\u2019s design team, Chris embarked on what he described as one of the most fun and collaborative projects he\u2019s ever managed. Alongside the Metroparks planning and construction teams, he and his staff determined measurements for integrating the pergola with the curvature of the park. \u201cWe came up with the radius and angles and sent the original site drawings to Forever Redwood\u2019s design team. They were able to overlay the pergola design on top of that.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"AA fan-shaped pergola roof in construction at Forever Redwood\u2019s woodworking shop.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The final drawings specified a 50\u201d L x 13\u2019 W x 9\u20196\u201d H pergola, with ten anchored posts, in California Redwood with transparent premium sealant. When asked why he chose Redwood, Chris laughed. \u201cI\u2019ll be honest. Each park manager wants their park to be the best. I saw the other Redwood pergola at Swan Creek and thought, \u2018I want this\u2014only better!\u2019\u201d In addition to being weather-resistant and durable, California Redwood is a gorgeous, warm-toned wood.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once the pergola was delivered, Chris and his crew braved the rough January weather to erect the structure. The finished pergola flowed with the park\u2019s existing lines perfectly. Chris was thrilled. \u201cThe park, the railroad, the bridge, it\u2019s all a large puzzle. We were fortunate enough to put the pieces in the right places. It\u2019s a great little postage stamp view.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That \u201cpostage stamp view\u201d was captured by a Metroparks employee in a photo that won second place in last year\u2019s Forever Redwood photo contest\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

\"2nd <\/span>2nd Place Winner: Forever Redwood 2020 Photo Contest<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just such a positive experience for me. Every component,\u201d Chris said, reflecting on working with Forever Redwood and his own team. \u201cThe pergola fit like it was always supposed to be there. That speaks volumes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"LandscapingLandscaping with native prairie grasses creates synergy with nature and park-goers. <\/span><\/i>Photo courtesy of Metroparks Toledo.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As Regional Manager of Operations for Metroparks Toledo, Chris Smalley\u2019s work is an extension of his values. In collaboration with his colleagues, he creates and preserves public greenspaces, honors local history, and promotes wellbeing for his fellow Ohioans. This beautiful synergy is on full display at Middlegrounds Park, one of the sites he oversees. Tucked … Beautiful Synergy: Pergola\u2019s Design Integrates Nature, People, and History<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":2017,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[36,143,147,34,144,9],"tags":[112,70,60,86,48,61,11],"yoast_head":"\nBeautiful Synergy: Pergola\u2019s Design Integrates Nature, People, and History - Forever Redwood<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/synergy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Beautiful Synergy: Pergola\u2019s Design Integrates Nature, People, and History - Forever Redwood\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As Regional Manager of Operations for Metroparks Toledo, Chris Smalley\u2019s work is an extension of his values. In collaboration with his colleagues, he creates and preserves public greenspaces, honors local history, and promotes wellbeing for his fellow Ohioans. This beautiful synergy is on full display at Middlegrounds Park, one of the sites he oversees. Tucked ... Beautiful Synergy: Pergola\u2019s Design Integrates Nature, People, and History\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/synergy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Raul's Blog | Forever Redwood\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Forever-Redwood-164971180276432\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-02-17T22:31:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-03-07T20:51:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Copy-of-Metroparks-email-header.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"940\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"788\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rebecca Baum\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Raul's Blog | Forever Redwood\",\"description\":\"Eco-Friendly Outdoor Lifestyles\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/synergy\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Copy-of-Metroparks-email-header.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Copy-of-Metroparks-email-header.png\",\"width\":940,\"height\":788,\"caption\":\"BEAUTIFUL SYNERGY: PERGOLA\\u2019S DESIGN INTEGRATES NATURE, PEOPLE, AND HISTORY\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/synergy\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/synergy\/\",\"name\":\"Beautiful Synergy: Pergola\\u2019s Design Integrates Nature, People, and History - Forever Redwood\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/synergy\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-02-17T22:31:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-03-07T20:51:23+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/680a7170924d5897ddde9ff85b0575b3\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/synergy\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/synergy\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/synergy\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Beautiful Synergy: Pergola\\u2019s Design Integrates Nature, People, and History\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/680a7170924d5897ddde9ff85b0575b3\",\"name\":\"Rebecca Baum\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7afc725077688eabec5347cd831f3c62?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7afc725077688eabec5347cd831f3c62?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Rebecca Baum\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/author\/rebecca\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Beautiful Synergy: Pergola\u2019s Design Integrates Nature, People, and History - Forever Redwood","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/synergy\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Beautiful Synergy: Pergola\u2019s Design Integrates Nature, People, and History - Forever Redwood","og_description":"As Regional Manager of Operations for Metroparks Toledo, Chris Smalley\u2019s work is an extension of his values. In collaboration with his colleagues, he creates and preserves public greenspaces, honors local history, and promotes wellbeing for his fellow Ohioans. This beautiful synergy is on full display at Middlegrounds Park, one of the sites he oversees. Tucked ... Beautiful Synergy: Pergola\u2019s Design Integrates Nature, People, and History","og_url":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/synergy\/","og_site_name":"Raul's Blog | Forever Redwood","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Forever-Redwood-164971180276432\/","article_published_time":"2021-02-17T22:31:48+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-03-07T20:51:23+00:00","og_image":[{"width":940,"height":788,"url":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Copy-of-Metroparks-email-header.png","type":"image\/png"}],"twitter_card":"summary","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Rebecca Baum","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/","name":"Raul's Blog | Forever Redwood","description":"Eco-Friendly Outdoor Lifestyles","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/synergy\/#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Copy-of-Metroparks-email-header.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Copy-of-Metroparks-email-header.png","width":940,"height":788,"caption":"BEAUTIFUL SYNERGY: PERGOLA\u2019S DESIGN INTEGRATES NATURE, PEOPLE, AND HISTORY"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/synergy\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/synergy\/","name":"Beautiful Synergy: Pergola\u2019s Design Integrates Nature, People, and History - Forever Redwood","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/synergy\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2021-02-17T22:31:48+00:00","dateModified":"2022-03-07T20:51:23+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/680a7170924d5897ddde9ff85b0575b3"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/synergy\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/synergy\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/synergy\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Beautiful Synergy: Pergola\u2019s Design Integrates Nature, People, and History"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/680a7170924d5897ddde9ff85b0575b3","name":"Rebecca Baum","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7afc725077688eabec5347cd831f3c62?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7afc725077688eabec5347cd831f3c62?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Rebecca Baum"},"url":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/author\/rebecca\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2219,"href":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000\/revisions\/2219"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2017"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foreverredwood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}