A new-build Melbourne house brings mystery and seclusion to a sleepy, suburban part of town - Malvern East. The home, titled Casa Piva and designed by B.E. Architecture, is an elegantly pared-down arrangement of volumes composed so as to reveal little to the outside world. Instead, a series of internal communal areas and open-air courtyards, inward-looking and invisible from the street, create a luxurious sequence of living spaces for the family of one of the architecture practice's directors.
Tour this new Melbourne house by B.E. Architecture
A discreet and almost austere street-facing façade of minimalist surfaces in white brick tells little of the richness unfolding beyond. The home was conceived as a 'cocoon' of daily life, the architects explain.
'It is an inward-looking building within its dense urban setting, taking many of its cues from the owners’ Italian heritage, reflected in its simplicity and carefully curated materials and details.'
Craft-rich construction and immaculate detailing elevate this concept further, ensuring this project is as much about the overarching idea as it is about its everyday experience in the smallest moment. This is helped by warm, inviting interiors created using a mix of brick, timber and travertine - materials that feel both earthy and tactile, and 'strangely reminiscent of an older time and place,' the architects add.
Meanwhile, bespoke joinery throughout brings an extra layer of texture and warmth - showcased especially in areas where full rooms are lined in antique oak, such as the study, the kitchen and the primary ensuite bedroom.
Entry via the large courtyard, through a purposefully compressed single arch, leads to the ground-level areas, where a selection of social spaces provide room for living, resting, cooking, dining and entertaining. Three bedrooms are located upstairs.
The architects conclude: 'As the home of architect and director Andrew Piva, Casa Piva presented a more introspective design process. The brief turned inward, considering how spaces could nourish and support his family’s rituals and ways of living. Architectural references spanning different places and periods are quietly reinterpreted, their presence deliberately subliminal and open to interpretation.'
