Tucked discreetly in a Melbourne suburb, Casa Piva offers a blend of privacy with aesthetic simplicity highlighted by windowless facade architecture. The brainchild of Andrew Piva, director at B.E. Architecture, this home offers an almost monolithic facade of white brick, revealing little to outsiders. Designed to blend privacy with aesthetic simplicity, the exterior conceals a complex interior that unfolds gradually, drawing from the owner’s Italian heritage.
The exterior is defined by white brick, used across a facade with very few openings. From the laneway, the building appears solid and quiet. Behind that exterior, the architecture becomes increasingly layered, balancing rational planning with brick, timber, travertine, planting, textiles, art and collected objects.
An Architectural Oasis of Courtyards
Casa Piva is crafted around inward-facing courtyards that offer seclusion from the bustling suburban environment. Eschewing traditional street-facing designs in favor of windowless facade architecture, the property turns inwards, prioritizing privacy and serenity. Barely any openings interrupt the clean, white brick facade, enhancing its discrete charm. Behind this outer shell, layers of materials like timber and travertine interact with art and nature.
The exterior is defined by white brick, used across a facade with very few openings. From the laneway, the building appears solid and quiet. Behind that exterior, the architecture becomes increasingly layered, balancing rational planning with brick, timber, travertine, planting, textiles, art and collected objects.
Entry Through a Granite-Paved Courtyard
The home’s initial reveal is a forecourt paved in granite cobblestones. This enclosed space, accessible through a modest laneway door, introduces immediate greenery through two trees that pierce the roofline. This courtyard serves as an architectural buffer, transitioning visitors from street to sanctuary.
The exterior is defined by white brick, used across a facade with very few openings. From the laneway, the building appears solid and quiet. Behind that exterior, the architecture becomes increasingly layered, balancing rational planning with brick, timber, travertine, planting, textiles, art and collected objects.
The exterior is defined by white brick, used across a facade with very few openings. From the laneway, the building appears solid and quiet. Behind that exterior, the architecture becomes increasingly layered, balancing rational planning with brick, timber, travertine, planting, textiles, art and collected objects.
Windowless Facade Architecture in Passageways
The path from the courtyard is marked by a single arch leading into a series of dim, confined spaces. These darker passageways contrast the courtyard’s openness, drawing visitors into progressively deeper parts of the house. Here, a hallway provides access to a TV room, library, laundry, and powder-room, before the architecture opens to the kitchen and dining areas.
A single arch leads into Casa Piva’s low-lit entry sequence, passing the service and secondary rooms before the house begins to open towards the warmer kitchen and living areas.
A single arch leads into Casa Piva’s low-lit entry sequence, passing the service and secondary rooms before the house begins to open towards the warmer kitchen and living areas.
A Kitchen Wrapped in Antique Oak
The kitchen forms the core of Casa Piva, marked by its antique oak cladding. The warm tones of the oak, paired with complementary timber joinery, imbue the space with a rich, welcoming feel. A light-colored island provides contrast, integrating functionality with exquisite design.
This wood-lined hallway provides access to a combined TV room and library, a laundry room, and a powder-room. From there, steps lead down to the kitchen and dining room, where the house begins to open up.
This wood-lined hallway provides access to a combined TV room and library, a laundry room, and a powder-room. From there, steps lead down to the kitchen and dining room, where the house begins to open up.
Dining Amidst Soft Light and Timbers
Adjacent to the kitchen, the dining area continues the warm timber aesthetic. With a dark dining table and bentwood chairs, it’s a space where design and comfort meet. An oversized white pendant and heavy curtains add layers of texture and elegance.
Casa Piva’s kitchen combines antique oak cabinetry, a pale island, leather stools and soft filtered light, creating one of the warmest and most tactile rooms in the house.
Casa Piva’s kitchen combines antique oak cabinetry, a pale island, leather stools and soft filtered light, creating one of the warmest and most tactile rooms in the house.
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Casa Piva’s kitchen combines antique oak cabinetry, a pale island, leather stools and soft filtered light, creating one of the warmest and most tactile rooms in the house.
Bringing the Outside In
As one moves through the house, the second and larger internal courtyard emerges, bringing daylight into the main living spaces, emphasizing the windowless facade architecture. This transition from enclosed corridors to sunlit courtyards epitomizes Casa Piva’s design brilliance, merging seclusion with openness seamlessly.
Warm timber cabinetry, bentwood chairs, a dark dining table and an oversized white pendant define Casa Piva’s dining area, with the larger internal courtyard bringing daylight and planting into the living spaces.
Warm timber cabinetry, bentwood chairs, a dark dining table and an oversized white pendant define Casa Piva’s dining area, with the larger internal courtyard bringing daylight and planting into the living spaces.
Warm timber cabinetry, bentwood chairs, a dark dining table and an oversized white pendant define Casa Piva’s dining area, with the larger internal courtyard bringing daylight and planting into the living spaces.
Interior Design: Vintage Meets Modern
The living room features Casa Piva’s mix of vintage and custom pieces. With furniture and art gathered over the years, the room channels warmth and history through bespoke pieces like a plaster ring bird light and vintage Missoni fabric upholstery, all complementing the windowless design.
Warm timber cabinetry, bentwood chairs, a dark dining table and an oversized white pendant define Casa Piva’s dining area, with the larger internal courtyard bringing daylight and planting into the living spaces.
Warm timber cabinetry, bentwood chairs, a dark dining table and an oversized white pendant define Casa Piva’s dining area, with the larger internal courtyard bringing daylight and planting into the living spaces.
Natural Light and the Stairwell
A softly detailed staircase beneath a skylight channels light into the house, bridging the public and private realms. This feature marks significant transitions in Casa Piva, guiding visitors from the grand entry into the privacy of the upper floors with the backdrop of windowless facade architecture.
Casa Piva’s living room layers brick, timber and travertine with collected art, custom Perspex tables, an oversized plaster bird light and a sofa upholstered in vintage Missoni fabric.
Casa Piva’s living room layers brick, timber and travertine with collected art, custom Perspex tables, an oversized plaster bird light and a sofa upholstered in vintage Missoni fabric.
Timber Features Continue Upstairs
On the upper levels, timber continues to assert its presence, enveloping bedrooms with oak-lined walls and cabinetry. The design choice creates a refined yet cozy environment, complemented by minimalist furnishings and subdued decor, aligning with the overall windowless facade architecture theme.
Casa Piva’s living room layers brick, timber and travertine with collected art, custom Perspex tables, an oversized plaster bird light and a sofa upholstered in vintage Missoni fabric.
A softly detailed staircase beneath a skylight connects Casa Piva’s ground floor with the private rooms above, while drawing natural light into the darker entry area below.
Bathrooms of Contrasting Moods
The bathrooms highlight contrasting atmospheres: one space adorned with timber and integrated with warm fixtures, and another featuring dark charcoal tiles for a more dramatic, enclosed experience.
A softly detailed staircase beneath a skylight connects Casa Piva’s ground floor with the private rooms above, while drawing natural light into the darker entry area below.
This bedroom continues the house’s use of timber, with warm oak lining the walls and built-in cabinetry extending into the adjoining dressing area. The bed sits against a dark upholstered headboard, while soft grey bedding, sheer curtains and a small framed artwork keep the room subdued.
Connecting Every Corner: Casa Piva’s Layout
Casa Piva’s design revolves around its courtyards, with public spaces on the ground floor and private retreats above. It exemplifies how architecture can create spaces that are both internally focused and intimately connected to their exterior environment through windowless facade architecture.
In this closet, full-height doors conceal storage, with a timber vanity and simple wall light continuing the same furniture-like approach to joinery seen downstairs.
This bathroom has an oak palette with timber cabinetry, an integrated basin and a large mirrored cabinet, creating a warm, seamless interior.
Architecturally, Casa Piva remains discreet from the street while internally transforming into a warm, inviting haven, blending historical references with modern living.
This modern bathroom is lined in slender charcoal tiles around a built-in bath. Light enters from above, catching the vertical tile joints and giving the room a more enclosed, dramatic feel while still keeping the material palette restrained.
The floor plans reveal how Casa Piva is arranged around its courtyards, with the kitchen, dining and living spaces on the ground floor and the private bedrooms and bathrooms above.
Architectural and interior design by B.E. Architecture | Built by JGF Creative Builders
The floor plans reveal how Casa Piva is arranged around its courtyards, with the kitchen, dining and living spaces on the ground floor and the private bedrooms and bathrooms above.
Casa Piva integrates natural light through its design around courtyards, allowing daylight into main living spaces despite the windowless facade architecture. A skylight over the staircase channels light into the house, connecting different levels.
What materials are prominent in Casa Piva’s design?
Casa Piva prominently features materials like timber and travertine. The kitchen showcases antique oak cladding, and the upper levels have oak-lined walls and cabinetry.
How is privacy achieved in Casa Piva?
Privacy in Casa Piva is achieved through its windowless facade architecture and inward-facing courtyards. These design choices prioritize seclusion and tranquility from the suburban environment.
