Zac Efron’s Been Living Down Under For Years, But His ‘Futurecave’ Is Finally Coming Together
Zac Efron has a big project brewing, and I’m not talking about a 2026 movie release. No, it would seem the actor’s Australia era is starting to look very permanent. Efron has been linked to life Down Under for years and, now, his long-in-the-works sustainable home, nicknamed the “Futurecave,” has reportedly moved from eco-dream-board territory into actual construction.
Efron has been quietly living in the Byron Bay area while work moves forward on the home project, which sits on a 128-hectare property near Tomewin in New South Wales, per Daily Mail Australia. Environmental designer Joost Bakker recently shared behind-the-scenes updates on Instagram from the build, including experimental materials being developed for the home. The post is captioned:
My nephew [Sil de Leeuw] has just arrived from the Netherlands to help work on Zacs house. He brought with him a piece of the future. A seat pressed from hemp and the world’s first bio based circular resin by Plantics. We are excited to work with this company to create materials for a truly sustainable future!
The project reportedly broke ground after years of planning, with Bakker posting on social media in May that he was “excited to get started on Zac’s house.” Per First for Women, the High School Musical franchise star first connected with Bakker after visiting the designer’s Future Food Systems installation in Melbourne while filming Down to Earth With Zac Efron, his series, which streams to anyone with a Netflix subscription. That connection eventually turned into the actor asking Bakker to design his own home.
And this does not sound like a normal celebrity mansion. The Futurecave is reportedly being built around hemp, plant-based materials, rooftop gardens and off-grid systems.
The Futurecave Is Going Big On Hemp
Hemp is apparently central to the entire project. According to the report, the home will use hemp-derived materials for internal bricks, joinery, curtains, pillows and even a custom mattress. Bakker has also posted about plant-based boards, hemp blocks and bio-based circular resin, framing the project as a test case for more sustainable building materials.
That may sound like something from a very expensive climate-conscious mood board, but the details are genuinely interesting. Bakker has described experimenting with alternatives to concrete, including hemp and oyster-based materials, in hopes of creating building products that breathe, resist mold and improve indoor air quality. The goal appears to be bigger than one famous actor’s house. Bakker has said he and Efron want hemp to become a more mainstream crop.
The property itself also sounds ridiculous in a very Efron-vanishes-into-nature kind of way. Reports describe the land as having rainforest, waterfalls, creeks and old cedar trees. The home is expected to include six bedroom pods connected by outdoor walkways, with rooftop gardens designed to support native butterflies, fireflies and frogs.
Zac Efron Has Been Building Toward This For Years
Efron’s relationship with Australia has been more than a passing pandemic-era detour. He filmed Gold in the South Australian outback in 2020 and returned to film the second season of his Emmy-winning series in 2021. Efron has also popped up at Australian events in the years since, including the Formula One Australian Grand Prix.
The Futurecave seems to align with the public version of Efron that fans have seen more and more of in recent years. All in all, the Iron Claw star seems to be focused less on Hollywood chaos, more on health, nature and space to breathe. He told the outlet that between movies and press tours, one of his main goals is to rest, recharge and get as close to nature as possible.
After years of Efron seeming increasingly at home in Australia, the Futurecave feels like a major next step. He may still be a Hollywood star, but his most interesting current production might be the house itself.
