Recent articles: UK’s Phoenix, Zac Efron, Hempcrete Checked Boxes

The bio-composite material met the owners goals when it came to sustainability, wellbeing, and comfort—without skimping out on the design.

Designer: Altereco Design / @alterecodesign

Footprint: 769 square feet

Structural & Civil Engineer: Altman & Associates

From the Designer: “An exemplar of sustainable living and intelligent design has emerged in Lyonville, Central Victoria. With a preference for warm earthy tones, Sarah and David’s vision also emphasized solar passive design principles and the exploration of Hempcrete as a building material. Their intention was to create a haven that showcased the elegance of simplicity while being considerate of the environment and mindful of the climate.

“Our design response embraced the concept of ‘just enough’ and the goal of deliberately keeping the house compact, which was an extremely refreshing approach for this project with its modest footprint.

Hollywood star Zac Efron is making waves not just with his film career, but also with his new environmentally friendly undertaking. Recently, he received the green light from the local council for his ambitious project of building a sustainable home made primarily from hemp.

Efron’s plans for this eco-friendly abode, which pride themselves on utilizing hemp, reflect not only his personal lifestyle choices but also align with increasing global trends toward sustainability and eco-conscious living. The property, situated on the picturesque north coast of New South Wales, Australia, has cost approximately AUD 2.685 million and includes some features aimed at minimizing the ecological footprint.

Zac Efron‘s dream of building his fully sustainable dream home is one step closer to being realised.

A development application was lodged in August on behalf of the Iron Claw actor by Joost Bakker, an environmental activist and friend of the star.

Bakker, a former florist, is a well-known environmental activist and designer and often posts content related to sustainable housing on his social media.

Located in the South Downs National Park, the Phoenix will contain energy-efficient homes, public space and healthcare, retail, hospitality and industrial space, all constructed from engineered timber including cross-laminated timber.

It will be the largest structural timber neighbourhood in the UK by number of units, Human Nature’s head of sustainable construction Andy Tugby told Dezeen.

The buildings will range from two to five storeys tall and be clad in prefabricated panels made from locally sourced timber and biomaterials such as hemp.