American actor Zac Efron is building an unusual home in Australia, with hemp playing a major role in the project. Called “FutureCave,” the home is being developed on a 128-hectare property in New South Wales that Efron bought in 2020. The site is about an hour from Byron Bay. The High School Musical star is working with Dutch-Australian designer Joost Bakker and architect Frank Burridge on the project.
Rather than a conventional house, FutureCave is planned around six bedroom pods connected by outdoor walkways. The project incorporates materials including hemp, recycled oyster shells, agricultural waste and sustainable particle boards.
Hemp is a major material in Zac Efron’s home
Hemp is one of the main materials planned for FutureCave. PEOPLE reported that the home will be made largely from hemp, including its internal bricks and joinery. The hemp is being sourced from a farm in southern New South Wales. The publication also reported that hemp will be used for some interior items, including a mattress, curtains and pillows.
Other materials are planned for the build as well. Realtor.com reported that the project includes hemp blocks, recycled oyster shells, agricultural waste and sustainable particle boards.
The kitchen and bathroom joinery is planned to use 200 sustainable boards. Bakker has said that wider use of the material could help farmers restore soil health. Bakker has also shared details of the project’s use of hemp blocks and oyster-based materials as work on FutureCave has progressed.
What will Zac Efron’s Australian home look like?
FutureCave is being designed around separate structures rather than one conventional block of rooms.
The plans call for six bedroom pods connected by outdoor walkways. Each pod is expected to have its own bathroom and rooftop garden, while a larger living area will form part of the home.
PEOPLE reported that the site has lush virgin rainforest, 500-year-old cedar trees and waterfalls. The planned house has also been described as an off-grid, two-story residence.
Because the project is still being developed, the final home could differ from the plans and designs reported so far.
Why Zac Efron wanted to build the home
The 17 Again actor has previously spoken about what he wants from the property. In a December 2025 interview with the Australian Financial Review, he said his life can be fast-paced and that he wants time between movies and press tours to rest, recharge and spend more time in nature.
Efron met Bakker while filming the Netflix series “Down to Earth” in Australia. The two later worked together on the FutureCave project.
Bakker announced the project in November 2025. In May 2026, he said the team was getting started after securing planning permission.
Zac Efron’s FutureCave is still taking shape
FutureCave is still being developed, with hemp and other alternative materials forming a major part of the plans.
Hemp blocks, recycled oyster shells, agricultural waste and particle boards are among the materials planned for the project. The design includes six bedroom pods, outdoor walkways and rooftop gardens.
The Lucky One actor has said he wants a place where he can rest, recharge and spend time in nature between movies and press tours.
