Nestled in the dense coastal bush of Western Australia's southwest region, Injidup Springs House by Whispering Smith stands as a remarkable example of contemporary residential architecture that harmoniously integrates with its natural surroundings. The project, built on the traditional land of the Wadandi people, comprises multiple structures that serve both as a family residence and a creative workspace, featuring a main house, recording studio, and two guest bungalows.

Visited during Makuru, the coldest and wettest season in the traditional Noongar calendar (typically June and July), the complex presents itself as a series of bold black volumes emerging from the native vegetation. The approach reveals two cubic guest bungalows that appear to merge with the surrounding black trunks of grass trees, their folded black steel cladding creating a striking visual continuity with the landscape. Beyond these structures, a larger linear building extends toward a simple, windowless concrete block wall, creating an intriguing architectural dialogue between different forms and materials.

The entry experience is carefully orchestrated, drawing visitors into a deep-set entrance where black steel meets grey concrete blocks. Two perpendicular walls form a large open-sided courtyard that gradually fills with native bush, establishing the project's central theme of blending indoor and outdoor spaces. This thoughtful design creates more than just a house – it serves as a comprehensive living and creative environment that includes the main residence, an attached but separate recording studio, and the two freestanding accommodation bungalows for visiting collaborators and studio guests.

The guest bungalows showcase generous double-height volumes that introduce the simple yet sophisticated material palette used throughout the complex: cork, plywood, tile, and steel. These structures feature tall, north-facing openings that carefully frame views of the surrounding landscape, while mezzanine levels provide additional sleeping space. The main house follows a north-facing linear arrangement that demonstrates excellent passive solar design principles, implemented with subtle sophistication rather than obvious display.

Access to the main house occurs through a few steps up into the central section, leading to a covered external space that functions as an integral arrival balcony rather than a secondary outdoor area. This protected outdoor room serves as a transitional zone between the living wing to the east and the bedroom wing to the west. The living area connects to this covered space through a large sliding door, with travertine tiles creating visual and material continuity between interior and exterior spaces.

The kitchen and dining area feature stainless steel joinery and a dining bench that flows into an open lounge area. Rather than completely glazing walls to take advantage of the spectacular views, Whispering Smith has demonstrated sophisticated understanding of the importance of framing vistas. The architects raised the window sills to allow for furniture placement while introducing closely spaced deep columns that create a series of windows wrapping the east and north walls. This approach provides occupants with a greater sense of outlook while maintaining functional interior spaces.

As visitors move toward the eastern end of the main house, the sensation of floating above the ground becomes apparent as the land falls away below. The bedroom wing features rooms positioned to the north with a corridor running along the south side, allowing for perfectly handled cross-ventilation through vertical shutters on the south facade that align with room doors. The main bathroom creates a striking impression with light blue mosaic tiling, featuring a fully tiled bath that presents an essay in solid and open design across the northern edge – a treatment that evokes memories of Le Corbusier's bathroom design at Villa Savoye from 1931.

The bedrooms are clad in dark-stained plywood, creating a dramatic contrast with the green vegetation visible through the windows. Cork flooring provides comfort and warmth underfoot throughout these spaces. In the main bedroom, the design eliminates traditional barriers by removing the door between the ensuite and sleeping area, allowing materials to flow fluidly as mosaic tiling extends across the bedroom's north wall.

The recording studio presents a completely different material and spatial proposition, constructed as a solid, ground-level structure in concrete block that reverses the lightweight approach of the main house. Access to the studio requires going outside, around, and down to ground level – another architectural inversion that emphasizes the studio's bunker-like character. Entered from beneath the main house entry, the studio runs north-south with its solid western edge forming the concrete wall of the entry courtyard.

Inside this bunker-like structure, two tall rooms lined in dark-stained cedar battens house the control room and recording studio respectively. Designed in collaboration with the client and an acoustician, these rooms function like large instruments with their own unique sense and sound characteristics. Each room features a single eastern window – one perfectly circular, the other a tall isosceles triangle – creating distinctive architectural moments that recall the work of late Perth architect Ralph Drexel and his use of circular cutouts and simple geometries.

The project's relationship with its site demonstrates exceptional environmental sensitivity. The dense coastal bush surrounding Injidup Springs House is gradually reclaiming the site through natural regeneration made possible by careful clearing practices during initial construction. The house exists as a series of pavilions connected by outdoor spaces, creating a simple figure that sits both within and separate from the land, appearing as though it has been part of the landscape for many seasons.

The project utilized an extensive range of high-quality materials and products, including Lysaght Trimdek roofing in Night Sky, Structural Insulated Panels from SIPs Industries, and James Hardie Fine Texture Cladding. Windows feature custom steel-framed acoustic and bushfire-proof fixed panels by Zec Engineering, while flooring includes cork tiles from B and T Campbell Cork Floors and travertine from Eco Stone. The kitchen showcases custom stainless steel benchtops and cabinetry with integrated Siemens appliances, while bathrooms feature tiles from Bisazza and Original Ceramics with Sussex tapware in Brushed Nickel.

Completed after 18 months of design and documentation followed by 30 months of construction, the 145-square-meter Injidup Springs House represents a sophisticated response to both client needs and environmental context. The project team, led by Whispering Smith architects Kate FitzGerald, Claire White, Nikita Filippou, Sean Gorman, and Anna Harford, worked with specialized consultants including Haverstick Designs for acoustics and Assemble Building Co. as the primary builder. This collaborative approach has resulted in a residential complex that successfully balances private living needs with creative workspace requirements while maintaining deep respect for its natural setting and cultural context.