“We like to think a lot of our buildings are typified by the materials we use, the groupings of them, or select details. That creates its identity—and it was no different for this home,” says Andrew Piva, co-founding director of B.E Architecture. Tucked away down an urban laneway in Melbourne’s Malvern East, Casa Piva unfolds as a functional yet enduring family retreat.

Andrew has crafted a thoughtful home that balances architectural restraint with rich, natural materiality, creating a space that feels grounded, warm, and deeply personal to him, his wife, and their two teenage children. Designing his own home offered the unique opportunity to find the perfect balance of materials and details with architectural rigor. “We also had the benefit of being able to look at our own Italian heritage,” says Andrew.

Guided by B.E Architecture’s commitment to enduring materials, Casa Piva embraces an enveloping palette of Italian travertine stone and Tuscan oak timber paneling, lending authenticity, quality, and moments of elevated drama within a calming atmosphere. The home’s pared-back forms and understated elegance allow these materials, along with selected soft furnishings from Cultiver, to take centre stage while the considered layout and sweeping volumes draw in natural light, creating a harmonious flow throughout.

More than just an architectural space, Casa Piva acts as a living gallery—a carefully curated environment of art, complementary furnishings in natural textiles, and sculptural objects that reflect Andrew’s dedication to craftsmanship and collaboration. Designed with an eye on the future, Casa Piva is intended not only as a family home for the present but as a lasting legacy.