In conversation with Emlyn Olaver of OLAVER
Grounded in the interplay of light, flow, and texture, Melbourne’s OLAVER is an architecture and design practice that creates spaces defined by subtle contrast.
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Their work effortlessly balances the imperfect with the refined, pairing historic structure with a modern, playful sensibilities. Having featured our porcelain pendant lights in several of their beautifully considered projects over the years, we sat down with Practice Director Emlyn Olaver to explore their approach to materiality, context, and designing for modern life.
Tell us a little about your background and the origin story behind Olaver Architecture
I came to architecture in a roundabout way. Growing up in Melbourne, I spent my teens skateboarding around the city, which made me notice the in-between spaces most people overlook. I first studied cinema and cultural studies, and only later moved into architecture. After working at a few respected Melbourne practices and tutoring at university, I started Olaver in 2015. Early commissions came through friends, the practice grew by word of mouth, and it has expanded steadily since.
What is fundamental to your practice – your philosophy and your process?
People come first. Every project starts with understanding how people will actually use a space, and we’re basically storyboarding how life will play out in it, whether that’s a home, a commercial project or a public space. That focus on people carries through to our process too, with close collaboration between my team, our consultants and particularly our builders to achieve the best possible outcome.
How do you characterise your design aesthetic?
Refined but imperfect. It’s calm architecture without grand gestures or tricks. That said, we always try to inject a few unexpected moments through planning, junctions and materiality, things that make people look twice.
Your work manages to balance quiet restraint with moments of unexpected playfulness. How do you decide when to hold back a design and when to lean into a bold, playful detail?
The cinema influence comes into play here a bit. Like editing a film, if every moment is loud, nothing stands out. So, most of a house can be calm, which lets a playful moment really land. Those moments usually sit at thresholds and transitions, like a stair, a step down or a window seat.
Tactility plays a large role in your projects. How do you approach the selection of materials, fixtures and finishes?
Exterior materiality is often driven by context and orientation. Interiors, on the other hand, are about contrast and the feeling you want to give a space or the activity that happens there.
I love that each piece is handmade, with small variations in glaze and texture that give it real warmth and personality. That sits naturally with how we think about imperfection. The forms are simple and quiet enough to suit a restrained interior while still feeling sculptural.
