History of the Coval House & the Pool House Roof
The Coval House swimming pool wing was built with a commitment to unparalleled craftsmanship and the finest materials available and took 5 years to complete. This room was designed by Robert Davey, AIA, inspired by a crayon sketch from one of the Coval children. The truss system is a traditional Japanese roof structure known as Shinzuka and is crafted in solid Bubinga, with decking in Afromosia. Yoshikuni Shimoi, a master craftsman from Japan, adapted this ancient system to the pool room. The wood was acquired in South Africa, processed in Germany, and then kiln dried in Los Angeles. A rag-tag hippie crew of 10 woodworkers labored for over 18 months to create and install the trusses, which were joined and assembled one piece at a time on site. The joinery systems are designed by Curtis Erpelding, a furniture maker with the Northwest Woodworker’s Gallery. Each Bubinga member was hand sanded and polished to a furniture grade polish.
Before the Coval House was demolished 10 years ago, this one-of-a-kind roof structure was saved and moved to a local church parking lot with the hope of future reuse as part of the Mercer Island Art Museum. Plans changed and now this breathtaking roof system is available for purchase through Earthwise Salvage.
What is Bubinga?
An immensely popular hardwood that is only grown Equatorial Africa and Western Africa. It’s known for its incredible strength and density. It is a very heavy wood product with a stunningly beautiful reddish brown appearance, often with dark purple or black streaks. It has a fine to medium texture and popularly used for premium wood veneer, fine furniture, cabinetry, decorative flooring, and tabletops.
Dimensions and Stats
- 4,283 Board Feet of Bubinga
- Components: Truss, Beams, End Beams, Stringers, Rafter Beams, Ridge Beam
- Dimensions as it currently sits: 26.5″ wide x 68″ long x 5.5″ tall
Call us for more info and pricing!
Aaron Blanchard
Director of Operations
425-420-3000
Aaron@ewsalvage.com
Roof system will likely have to be deconstructed for transportation.
More history and videos:
- Local coverage from the Mercer Island Reporter on the move and background. Mercer Island Reporter
- A 4-minute film by the late John Hill (MICA founder/filmmaker) about the Coval roof. YouTube
- Coval House Roof, a historical context: Coval House
