Zac Efron is trading red carpets for rainforest life in Australia, where he is building an off-grid home that relies heavily on hemp.
The project is shaped around comfort, self-reliance, and materials intended to lessen environmental impact.
What happened?
Mugglehead reported that Efron is developing "FutureCave" on 128 hectares of rainforest near the New South Wales-Queensland border.
The retreat is reportedly six years in the making and is being built largely with industrial hemp.
Environmental designer Joost Bakker, who met Efron while they were filming Netflix's Down to Earth, is overseeing the work.
The design uses locally sourced hemp in the walls, insulation, and interior finishes, plus around 2,200 lime-free hempcrete blocks secured with oyster shells.
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Efron also signed off on hemp touches throughout the interior, including bedding, other fabric items, and 200 Plantbord panels for kitchen and bathroom surfaces.
There will be six bedroom pods joined by open-air walkways, along with private bathrooms and rooftop gardens.
"Zac Efron is pushing me and my team to create something truly special," Bakker wrote on Instagram.
FutureCave is presented as a retreat designed to place its owner nearer to nature and further from public attention.
Why does it matter?
Because hempcrete is breathable and fire-resistant, it manages humidity and keeps indoor spaces more comfortable in a hot, changeable rainforest climate. That could lessen the need for energy-intensive climate control.
A home that can function off-grid may also provide greater security during outages or service disruptions while cutting long-term energy expenses.
This is just one example of practical, sustainable materials being used in high-profile projects.
What are people saying?
"Kudos to Zac for seeking out a visionary to create a home that is healthy for the environment and sustainable for the future. I hope more people follow his lead," one user wrote.
"What a project! And so amazing that this is being done for the planet!" another added.
"Go hemp! We need a lot more of this everywhere," a third commented.
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