South Africa is home to some of the world's most talented designers, and we have collected six amazing buildings to prove it. From the inspiring New Jerusalem Orphanage constructed from shipping containers to the rain-capturing Karoo Wilderness Center and the country's very first Hemp House, each project features progressive passive design techniques, sophisticated material selection and a distinct South African identity to pique global interest and make locals proud.

 

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Here in the northern hemisphere, the days are growing longer and warmer, reminding us that spring and summer are just around the corner. Soon we'll see flowers and buds poking up through the earth, and we'll get to shed all those bulky winter clothes and boots in favor of dresses, light shirts, and sandals. Of course, this means that the parts of our bodies that have been hidden under sweaters and track pants for the last few months will be visible to the world once again, and chances are they're not looking their summery best right now. This is where body scrubs come in — read on for some easy, all-natural DIY scrub ideas.

 

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On March 23rd at 8:30 pm, WWF’s Earth Hour will begin. Started in 2007, Earth Hour is a symbolic act to get us thinking about our planet and our impact on it. But more than that, it’s also part of a simple idea to start an environmental resolution in 2013 -- this is not only about one hour in the dark, it’s about a brighter future. But even though you're switching off your lights and electronic appliances for the environment this weekend, you don't have to sit twiddling your thumbs in the dark. There is still a lot you can do without using a watt of electricity this Saturday. Earth Hour can be as fun as it is good for the planet, and if you're looking for some entertaining ways to spend it you're in luck because we've rounded up 9 fun activities that are sure to deliver a good time completely off-grid!

 

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Drumroll please…..

After six weeks of submissions and an intense judging period, we’re thrilled to finally announce the winner of the LightCollector Photo Contest! We called upon designers, architects and creatives to try out Philips’ new LightCollector photo app and collect light-inspired images from the world around them using their mobile devices. We received over 350 incredible entries, and even more of you came and voted for your favorite 20 photos – but there was one photo in particular that really stood out to our panel judges in the final round of the competition. We’d like to congratulate Allison Gates on her win for her photo “Wildfire“. Check it out after the break, as well as a few honorable mentions from our esteemed judges!

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Earlier this year while touring the United States, Copenhagen's Lord Mayor Frank Jensen announced the city's intention to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025. While Idle No More, 350.org and a fleet of other organizations beg government officials in the United States to transition away from the fossil fuel industry by canceling such ruinous schemes as the Keystone XL Pipeline, Copenhagen quietly reduced its carbon emissions by 40 percent between 1995 and 2012. And by 2025, the capital of Denmark intends to be entirely free of fossil fuels. Sound like a pipe dream? For Copenhagen, probably not. Hit the jump for a look at six strategies the city will employ to achieve their lofty goal; they aren't nearly as complicated as one might think.

 

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Do you have an inspiring idea for a t-shirt design? Enter it today in The Collective‘s brand new This Is Your Life T-Shirt Design Contest. The Collective has partnered up with Holstee to find two new t-shirt designs that exemplify Holstee’s powerful manifesto “This is your life. Do what you love, and do it often…” The designs you submit should combine the Holstee mantra with what is meaningful to you. Submit your ideas in pictograph form, words, as a drawing or in a video — whatever medium you feel best expresses the life of your design! Two prizes will be awarded, including a Holstee gift card worth $250 for the grand prize winner. The deadline to enter is TONIGHT Friday, March 29, 2013. Hit the jump to learn more about what you can win and how to enter the contest!

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Are you keen to turn trash into treasure but don't know where to find cool hidden gems? If so, you might want to check out our list of six places where it's easy to find abandoned antique furniture, vintage accessories, old cups and saucers and even lockers that can be upcycled into fun storage space, forks that can be made into jewelry, clothing that can be reused in interesting ways, and other neglected items that might suddenly appear to you in a whole new light. From yard sales to the side of the road, you wouldn't believe the places people throw out perfectly good stuff. So hit the jump and get inspired for some springtime DIY.

 

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Did you know that there's a faux Eiffel Tower in China, as well as an entire copy of the city of Venice, complete with gondola-lined canals? In the past few years, builders in China have replicated world-famous buildings and landmarks at a remarkable pace - from the world's first cloned Austrian mountain village to a reproductions of the White House, entire English villages, and even new starchitect designs that haven't been built yet, like Zaha Hadid's Wangjing Soho complex. Bianca Bosker’s exciting new book Original Copies: Architectural Mimicry in Contemporary China addresses this emerging Chinese 'duplitecture' trend and explores the ways that these replicated landmarks are shaping China's culture. It's a fascinating account that draws upon Chinese philosophical perspectives, builders, city planners, and even the residents who now live in these duplicated landmarks.

 

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With growing concern for indoor home health, rising energy costs and climate change, both builders and homeowners are turning to the Passive House building system as a viable, sustainable alternative to conventional residential and commercial construction. The Passive House system is based on the concept of passive design — that is, design that doesn’t use mechanical systems like heaters and air-conditioners for heating and cooling, but instead relies on making efficient use of sealed buildings, insulation, the sun’s energy and natural ventilation through careful design strategies. Passive House represents today’s highest green building standard and promises to dramatically cut an average household’s energy consumption and monthly energy bill. If you’re interested in learning more about how passive homes are influencing architects and helping to shape the building sector, then be sure to check out the Passive House Northwest 2013 Annual Conference coming up on Friday, March 15 at Seattle Pacific University. Co-sponsored by Hammer & Hand and NK Architects, the conference will investigate the ways that Passive House is propelling the built environment towards a higher and greener performance standard. Hit the jump to find out what’s in store at this awesome conference!

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Although the iconic Golden Gate Bridge draws over 10 million visitors each year, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge serves more than double the daily traffic - and it's finally getting its share of the spotlight. To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Bay Bridge, San Francisco installed 25,000 LEDs on the bridge's western span, effectively transforming it into the world's largest light sculpture. Designed by artist Leo Villareal, The Bay Lights ignites the bridge with glowing forms that fall like rain, rise like fizzing champagne bubbles, and swoop across the bay like passing clouds - and the algorithm-controlled patterns will run for two years straight without repeating. Hit the jump for a firsthand look at this amazing installation!

 

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LAST DAY TO VOTE!

We’ve received over 300 incredible light-inspired photographs in our LightCollector photography contest over the past few weeks, and we’ve been calling on you to vote for your favorite images to decide which photographer is most deserving of the sweet $1000 cash prize! Will it be this stunning image of a museum escalator, or this mesmerizing photograph of a skylight inside a museum that takes the grand prize? Today is the LAST DAY to vote to help determine the top 20 finalists. The top 20 entries with the most votes will go head to head to compete for the grand prize of $1000! So vote for your favorite entries today, and if you entered this contest, round up your friends and family and make sure they vote for your photo. Voting is easy, you just need to create a Light Collector account (either on the website or through your mobile phone).

HOW TO VOTE

ON THE LIGHT-COLLECTOR WEBSITE >

STEP 1:Go to the Light Collector website and search for photos with the tag #INHABITAT.

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STEP 2:
Click the heart on the bottom right hand corner of the photo to vote it up. Please use Safari, Firefox or IE browser since Chrome seems to not work with this website. Be sure to tell your friends and family to vote on your images (and leave comments) if you entered! The 20 images with the most votes will make it into our final round of judging and have a shot at the $1000 GRAND PRIZE. Please note, you can only vote for an image once.

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There’s definitely a lot to be said for living in a smaller space – hey, Leonardo da Vinci was a fan – but many a tiny apartment dweller has struggled with feeling cramped or confined. If you’ve been wanting to create the illusion of a larger area in your home (or even just in one room) there are a few easy fixes you can employ that won’t break the bank. Read on for our 6 tips and tricks to make a small place feel more spacious – you might be surprised at the difference they make!

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Many of us who try to lead eco-conscious lifestyles are likely already using many reusable, washable fabric items for both household and personal use; cotton dish cloths, washable baby diapers, handkerchiefs, and Glad Rags-type menstrual cloths are growing in popularity, but there’s one area in which we may all be eco-offenders: the ‘loo. The fluffy white toilet tissue that most of us use to dab at our nether-regions is usually made of virgin tree fiber, unless we’ve gone for a brand that uses recycled materials. Using TP with recycled content is better for both trees and the planet’s water supply, but there’s still a lot of processing that’s required to create it, and there’s likely to still be some old-growth forest wood pulp in there too. If we’d like our personal care habits to be as eco-friendly as possible, what other options can we look into? Short of keeping a pile of mullein leaves or a bucket of water and a ladle beside the toilet, there aren’t too many alternatives that don’t involve something disposable.

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After spending years sampling food throughout the Middle East, I am suffering mild withdrawals back in the United States, so I've been experimenting with recreating those flavors in my own tiny kitchen. My organic, vegan baba ghanoush was a particularly big hit - even with my sister's family, which isn't so crazy about eggplant. And it is unbelievably easy to make. All you need are a few firm organic aubergines/eggplants (I used graffiti eggplants from Spain since that is what my market had available, but I recommend using local produce instead if you can), a toaster oven, an immersion blender, some Tahini, a few key middle eastern spices and you're well on your way to making a delicious, smokey dip that everyone will love.

 

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Have you entered our mobile photo contest yet? 1 more week for a shot at $1000!

Are you a designer, architect or creative who finds inspiration in photography? If so, you’ll want to check out Philips’ new free LightCollector photo app to collect photographic inspiration from the world around you. Available for both Apple and Android mobile devices, LightCollector is a free mobile photography app that provides creative folks with a platform to collect, curate and share inspirational images from their mobile phones, and work with a global online network of peers, colleagues, experts and influencers. To get your creative juices flowing, we’ve teamed up with Philips and Light Collective to host a fantastic new photography contest that invites you to upload your best light-inspired photos for a chance to win a sweet $1000 cash prize! You’ve only got until Friday, February 15th (that’s in a week!) to submit your photos, after which we’ll be putting them up to a public vote to determine the most provocative, beautiful and inspiring.  The top 20 entries with the most votes will be included in a final round of judging by a panel made up of Inhabitat editors and industry professionals. Think you’ve got what it takes to get that winning image and the $1000 prize? Here’s how you can enter the competition:

HOW TO ENTER THE CONTEST

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