Zac Efron teams up with Joost Bakker to design his Australian dream home

Hollywood star Zac Efron has teamed up with environmental activist and designer Joost Bakker to design his sustainable Australian home.

The Iron Claw star purchased a 128 hectare plot in the northern rivers town of Tomewin for $2 million back in 2020.

Efron was in Australia at the time shooting action-thriller Gold, and during the COVID lockdowns he bunkered down in Byron Bay.

The star of High School Musical ended up selling his Los Angeles home in 2021 to make the move permanent.

"As of now, he has no plans to live permanently in LA again," a source told People. "He loves Australia and considers it his home."

Last week, Bakker announced on Instagram that he was collaborating with Efron to design a completely sustainable home.

"It's not everyday of the week that @zacefron asks you to design his home, I am beyond excited!" Bakker wrote in the caption.

"Zac fell in love with @futurefoodsystem and then our family home in Monbulk and now wants a home of his own + best of all he wants me to push my ideas as far as they can go!"

Bakker went on to detail that for the past year he has been experimenting with hemp and oyster shells to create blocks as a more environmentally-friendly material than concrete.

"We are using the most cutting edge technology (invented by the Romans 2000+ years ago)," the designer wrote. "I want to create a building material that I hope will become mainstream one day.

"A material that naturally breathes, is anti mould, naturally fire resistant and improves the indoor air Zac will ultimately breathe."

Comments on the post were supportive and enthusiastic about the partnership and methods.

Melbourne-based architecture studio Breathe commented "it's great to see Zac investing in a better future for our planet. Well done to you both"

Design publications expressed excitement for the project. Est Living wrote "Brilliant @joostbakker and @zacefron can't wait to see how far you push the future food system. Both visionaries." Green Magazine said "Looking forward to this one Joost."

Surfer Tom Silverwood said "Holy wow! Beyond amazing Joost! Push that boundary to the limit!"

Bakker credited two businesses with helping supply produce for the blocks, hemp producer @agrico_hillston and shell recycling project @shuckdontchuck.

This is not the first time Bakker has used hemp in a project.

In one of his recent works, Woodleigh School in Langwarrin South, the entire project was made from Australian-grown hemp.

As a result, the Woodleigh School won a Victorian Premier's Design Award.

According to the website, the provocation for the build was "Why build a school when you can build an ecosystem?"