Some people move to Byron Bay, buy a linen shirt, and call it a lifestyle.
Zac Efron? He bought 128 hectares of rainforest and hired Australia’s godfather of zero-waste living to build him a hemp fortress in the hills.
It’s called Futurecave. Part sanctuary, part science experiment, part “what if your home could actually heal the planet instead of roasting it.”
And honestly… same.
So what is Futurecave, exactly?
Think less celebrity mansion, more eco-lab with a roof that grows things. Built on a secluded block in the Tweed Valley, the home will be:
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Off-grid and zero-waste
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Wrapped in rooftop gardens + living soil
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Made with hemp bricks and natural materials (including oyster shells, because why not)
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Literally designed to bring endangered insects back
Yes, his house has a biodiversity plan.
Your herb garden is cute though.
This is the work of Joost Bakker; florist-turned-eco-architect, regenerative design renegade, and the guy behind the Future Food System (aka the house that feeds itself). Zac saw it, fell in love, and basically said:
“Cool. Make me the healthiest home on the planet. And don’t cut down a single tree.”
So now they’re building a living, breathing structure that acts more like a forest companion than real estate.
The Land: Byron-Adjacent Bush Fantasy
Picture it: cliffs, valleys, waterfalls, spring-fed dams and 128 hectares of rainforest hugging the NSW/QLD border. The kind of place where nature doesn’t whisper, it flexes.
Zac bought the land back in 2020 during his “accidentally moved to Australia” era, filming Down To Earth, dating a Byron barista, and discovering that this country makes you want to wear linen and discuss soil health.
Hemp Is The New Marble
Concrete? Out.
Hemp? In. Everywhere.
Walls. Insulation. Rugs. Curtains. Even the mattress. Hemp is carbon-negative, breathable, mould-resistant, and regenerates soil like a boss.
Add in oyster-shell-bonded hemp bricks and you’ve got a structure that:
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stores more carbon than it emits
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doesn’t poison the environment
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feels like a Scandinavian spa met an eco-commune
Joost says hemp has over 25,000 uses and when you realise it can build homes, clean soil, and literally lock away carbon while looking this good, it’s hard to argue.
Image credit: Joost Bakker / @joostbakker via Instagram
Close-up of oyster shells and hemp fiber blocks used in eco-friendly hempcrete construction for Zac Efron’s sustainable home, developed by Joost Bakker.
The Roof Alone Deserves Its Own Netflix Deal
There will be 100 tonnes of soil sitting on top of this thing. Not for storage.
For life.
Plants. Pollinators. Micro-ecosystems.
A literal habitat.
Your landlord could never.
“Wait, this is still a celebrity home… right?”
Sure. But it’s also a prototype. A proof-of-concept that regenerative homes aren’t just for permaculture blogs and commune guys named River.
If it works, Futurecave becomes a blueprint for building:
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low-carbon housing
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healthier indoor environments
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structures that give more than they take
And if you’re keeping score, yes, this might be the most likable thing a Hollywood star has ever done.
A render of Zac Efron’s approved hempcrete eco-home, designed to function as a self-sustaining, low-impact retreat in the Northern Rivers.
Why We Love This (And Why It Matters)
Because sustainability shouldn’t feel like punishment.
Or ugly.
Or beige.
It should look like architecture with a conscience and a six-pack.
Zac isn’t just escaping LA. He’s building inside the ecosystem, not on top of it.
And that’s the future... homes that regenerate land, feed biodiversity, and still look like something out of Architectural Digest: Bush Edition.
Watch This Space
We’ll be tracking Futurecave like it’s a rare bird sighting. Expect deep dives on:
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hemp homes
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regenerative building
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eco-architecture projects across Australia
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the rise of celebrity off-grid living
Because the planet is tired and it turns out the answer might be growing your house instead of just living in it.
Welcome to Sustainable Home Living, where good design goes green, and green stops being a marketing word and starts being your roof.
FAQs - Because The Curiosity Is Real
Is Zac Efron really building a hemp house?
Yes, a fully regenerative, hemp-based eco-home designed with Joost Bakker in Northern NSW.
Why use hemp?
Hemp absorbs carbon, is low-tox, and creates breathable, stable building material, kinder to the planet and the people living inside it.
Where is the house located?
In the Tweed Valley hinterland, about an hour inland from Byron Bay.
When will it be finished?
Construction is expected to run from February–September 2026.
Is it off-grid?
The goal is self-sustaining, zero-waste, low-tox living without the doom-prep aesthetic.
Can people visit it?
No, it’s a private residence. But the design principles are meant to inspire future builds.
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