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Windows 11 does a lot under the hood to speed up a PCs performance. The same PC will generally run faster on Windows 11 than Windows 10. But no matter how zippy your Windows 11 may be, it can run faster. And keep in mind that PCs tend to slow down over time, and you want to make sure that doesnt happen to yours.Its simple to make your Windows PC run faster. Just follow these tips.Top ways to speed up Windows 11Disable programs that run on startupUse efficiency modeUse automatic Windows maintenanceKill adware and bloatwareTurn off search indexingClean out your hard diskDisable shadows, animations, and visual effectsDisable transparencyChange your power settingsTurn off Windows tips and tricksDisable Game ModeUpdate device driversGet a burst of RAM with ReadyBoostRoll back your PC to a previous stateRestart WindowsRead on for details.Note: This story covers Windows 11 version 24H2. If you have an earlier release of Windows 11, some things may be slightly different. If you have Windows 10, see our Windows 10 speed tips.1. Disable programs that run on startupYour Windows 11 PC could be a laggard if programs you rarely or never use are running in the background. Your PC will run faster if you stop them from running.To do it, first launch the Task Manager in one of these ways: Press Ctrl-Shift-Esc, right-click the lower-right corner of your screen and select Task Manager, or type task manager into the Windows 11 search box and press Enter. Theres a lot you can use Task Manager for, but here were focusing only on killing unnecessary programs that run at startup.Click the Startup apps icon on the left side of the screen. (Its the fifth icon from the top.) It displays a list of the programs and services that launch when you start Windows. The list includes each programs name as well as its publisher, whether its enabled to run on startup, and its Startup impact, which is how much it slows down Windows 11 when the system starts up. Note, though, that the screen doesnt show how much each program will impact your performance after startup, during normal PC operations.You can use the Task Manager to get information about programs that launch at startup and disable any you dont need.Preston Gralla / FoundryTo stop a program or service from launching at startup, right-click it and select Disable. This doesnt disable the program entirely; it only prevents it from launching at startup you can run the application after launch. Also, if you later decide you want it to launch at startup, you can return to this area of the Task Manager, right-click the application and select Enable.Many of the programs and services that run on startup may be familiar to you, like Microsoft OneDrive or Spotify. But you may not recognize many of them. (Anyone who immediately knows what bzbui.exe is, please raise your hand. No fair Googling it first.)The Task Manager can find information about unfamiliar programs. Right-click an item and select Properties for more information about it, including its location on your hard disk, whether it has a digital signature, and other information such as the version number, the file size, and the last time it was modified. (Note that not all programs provide this information when you right-click them the Properties button may be grayed out.)You can also right-click the item and select Open file location. That opens File Explorer and takes it to the folder where the file is located, which may give you another clue about the programs purpose.Finally, and most helpfully, you can select Search online after you right-click. Bing will then launch with links to sites with information about the program or service. With Task Managers help, I easily discovered that bzbui.exe is Backblaze backup software, something I want to run automatically during startup.If youre worried about one of the listed applications, you can go to a site run by Reason Software called Should I Block It? and search for the file name. Youll usually find very solid information about the program or service.Now that youve selected all the programs that you want to disable at startup, the next time you restart your computer, the system wont launch those unnecessary programs automatically, and your PC may run faster.2. Use Efficiency ModeTask Manager has another trick up its sleeve for juicing Windows 11 performance. Efficiency Mode can speed up your PC and improve laptop battery life. It lowers the process priority of background applications, among other efficiency tricks.The term is a bit of a misnomer, because you cant put your entire PC into Efficiency Mode. Instead, you use Task Manager to put individual apps and processes into it. Theres one caveat: Youll only be able to use it on some apps and processes.First launch Task Manager using one of the methods covered in the previous tip. If youre already in Task Manager, click the Processes icon (three squares in a grid) on the left side of the screen to get to the Processes screen. A list of currently running apps and processes appears.Click the app or process you want to put into Efficiency Mode, click the Efficiency mode icon at the top right of the screen, then confirm that you want to turn on Efficiency Mode for the app. Note that if the Efficiency mode icon is grayed out when you click an app or process, you wont be able to use it. Also, some apps, including Microsoft Edge, automatically work in Efficiency Mode by default, and the mode cant be turned off.Turning on Efficiency Mode for an app.Preston Gralla / Foundry3. Use automatic Windows maintenanceIn the background, Windows 11 constantly performs maintenance on your PC, doing things like security scanning and performing system diagnostics to make sure everything is up to snuff. It automatically fixes problems it finds, which helps your PC run at peak performance. The automatic maintenance runs every day at 2:00 a.m. if your device is plugged into a power source and is asleep.However, that feature may have been accidentally turned off, or it may not have run recently if you shut down your PC at night (rather than putting it in Sleep mode) or you havent had your laptop plugged in for a while. You should make sure its turned on and runs every day. You can also run it manually if youd like.Type control in the search box on the taskbar and select Control Panel from the results to run the Control Panel app. In the app, selectSystem and Security > Security and Maintenance. In the Maintenance section, under Automatic Maintenance, click Start maintenance if you want it to run now. To make sure that it runs every day, click Change maintenance settings, and on the screen that appears, select the time youd like maintenance to run and check the box next to Allow scheduled maintenance to wake up my computer at the scheduled time. Then click OK.Heres how to set a time each day for Windows 11 to run its maintenance tasks.Preston Gralla / Foundry4. Kill adware and bloatwareIt may be that whats slowing your PC down isnt Windows 11, but bloatware or adware that takes up CPU and system resources. Adware and bloatware are particularly insidious because they may have been installed by your computers manufacturer. They typically run automatically at startup without you even knowing it. Youll be amazed at how much better your PC will run if you get rid of it.Start by running a system scan to find adware and malware. If youve already installed a security suite such as Norton Security or McAfee LiveSafe, you can use that. Windows 11s built-in anti-malware app, Windows Defender, also does a great job. Just typewindows defenderin the search box, press Enter, and click Scan Now. Windows Defender will look for malware and remove any it finds.You should get a second opinion, though, so consider a free tool likeMalwarebytes. The free version scans for malware and adware and removes what it finds; the paid version offers always-on protection to stop infections in the first place.Malwarebytes scans for and removes malware.Preston Gralla / FoundryNow that youve done all that, check for bloatware and uninstall it. A good free anti-bloatware tool is Bulk Crap Uninstaller. You can also go to the website Should I Remove It? it offers recommendations on what software is useful, and what you can uninstall. Theres a section of the website devoted to advice on how to remove bloatware on PCs from specific manufacturers. I highly recommend going there, because it lists all the bloatware different manufacturers install on their PCs. That section of the site also compares how much bloatware major manufacturers ship on their PCs. It rates Toshiba as having the most and Acer as having the least.Finally, when you buy a new PC online, check whether theres an option to leave off trial software and software you dont need to run your PC. That will stop bloatware from getting on your system in the first place.5. Turn off search indexingWindows 11 search performs indexing in your hard disk in the background, allowing you to search your PC more quickly than if no indexing were being done. Thats good for fast searches, but not so good for slower PCs, because indexing can cause a performance hit. You can give a slower machine a speed boost by turning off indexing. Even if you have an SSD disk, turning off indexing can improve your speed, because the constant writing to disk that indexing does can eventually slow down SSDs.To turn it off, type services.msc into the search box on the taskbar and press Enter. The Services app appears. Scroll down to either Indexing Service or Windows Search in the list of services. Double-click it, and on the screen that appears, click Stop. Then reboot your machine. Your searches may be slightly slower, but you also may not notice the difference. You should, though, get an overall speed boost.Heres how to turn off Windows 11 indexing.Preston Gralla / FoundryAlternatively, you can turn off indexing only for files in certain locations. In this way, you can still index files and folders you often search for but turn off indexing for the rest of your hard disk. So youd still get fast searches for files you use often, while increasing your PCs performance.To do it, type index in the Windows 11 search box and click the Indexing Options result that appears. The Indexing Options page of the Control Panel appears. Click the Modify button, and youll see a list of locations that are being indexed, such as Microsoft Outlook, your personal files, and so on. Uncheck the box next to any location, and it will no longer be indexed.6. Clean out your hard diskA bloated hard disk filled with files you dont need can slow down your PC. Taking a few minutes to clean it can give an immediate speed boost. A built-in Windows 11 tool called Storage Sense will do the job for you.Launch the Settings app, select Storage, scroll down to the Storage management section, and next to Storage Sense, move the toggle from Off to On. From now on, Windows will constantly monitor your PC and delete old junk files you no longer need temporary files, files in the Downloads folder that havent been changed in a month, and old Recycle Bin files.Heres where to customize the way Storage Sense works.Preston Gralla / FoundryYou can also customize when Storage Sense runs and what should be deleted automatically for example, whether to delete files from the Downloads folder after theyve been there for more than 30 days. To do it, click the right-facing arrow next to the Storage Sense On/Off slider.7. Disable shadows, animations, and visual effectsThose who like eye candy are probably big fans of Windows 11s shadows, animations, and visual effects. They typically dont affect performance on fast, newer PCs. But they can exact a performance hit on older, slower machines.If youve got a slower PC, turn them off. To do it, in the Windows 11 search box, type sysdm.cpl, press Enter, and then click the sysdm.cpl icon. That launches the Control Panels System Properties dialog box. Click the Advanced tab and click Settings in the Performance section. That brings you to the Performance Options dialog box. (Make sure youre on the Visual Effects tab of the dialog box.) Youll see a varied list of animations and special effects.The Performance Options dialog box lets you turn off visual effects that might be slowing down Windows 11.Preston Gralla / FoundryIf you love to tweak, you can turn individual options on and off. These are the animations and special effects youll probably want to turn off, because they have the greatest effect on system performance:Animate controls and elements inside windowsAnimate windows when minimizing and maximizingAnimations in the taskbarFade or slide menus into viewFade or slide ToolTips into viewFade out menu items after clickingShow shadows under windowsHowever, its a lot easier to just select the Adjust for best performance option at the top of the screen and click OK. Windows 11 will then turn off the effects that slow down your system.8. Disable transparencyTo get an even bigger speed boost, go beyond turning off shadows, animations, and visual effects. Also disable the transparency effects in the taskbar and other Windows 11 locations. Windows does a surprising amount of heavy lifting to create transparency effects, and turning them off can make a difference in system performance.To do it, run the Settings app and select Personalization > Colors, then move the Transparency effects slider to Off.Turning off Windows 11s transparency effects can help speed up performance.Preston Gralla / Foundry9. Change your power settingsYour Windows 11 PCs power settings let you balance its energy use with its performance. If youre using the most power-efficient setting, youre slowing down your PC, because the setting reduces your PCs performance to save energy. (Even desktop PCs typically have a power-saving setting.) Changing your power setting to one of the less power-efficient options will give you an instant performance boost.To do it, run the Settings app, then choose System and click the right-facing arrow next to Power. Depending on whether youre using a laptop or a desktop PC (and if youre using a laptop, whether its plugged in), youll see either a Plugged in or On battery setting that lists the power mode youre using. Click the drop-down arrow next to it and choose the setting you want.Change your power settings to give your PC a performance boost.Preston Gralla / FoundryBest Performance gives you the most oomph but uses the most power. Balanced finds a happy medium between power use and better performance, and Best Power Efficiency does everything it can to give you as much battery life as possible. Desktop users have no reason to choose Best Power Efficiency, and even laptop users should consider the Balanced option when unplugged.10. Turn off Windows tips and tricksWindows 11 constantly watches what youre doing on your PC and gives you tips about things you might want to do with the operating system. Ive never found these tips helpful. And I dont like the privacy implications of Windows constantly taking a virtual look over my shoulder.Beyond that, this monitoring can also make your PC run more sluggishly. So to speed things up, tell Windows to stop being so nosy and giving you advice. To do it, run the Settings app and select System > Notifications. Scroll down to Additional settings and click the down arrow. From the options that appear, uncheck the box marked Get tips and suggestions when using Windows.Turn off Windows suggestions to help things run more smoothly (and regain a measure of privacy).Preston Gralla / Foundry11. Disable Game ModeWindows 11s Game Mode optimizes your PC for playing games. When it detects that youre playing a game, it prioritizes system resources for gaming, taking them away from other apps and background processes. Thats great for serious gamers, but when youre not playing games, it can slow down your system because it keeps some system resources in reserve in case you start playing a game. It occasionally causes stability issues as well. So turning off Game Mode may be able to give your PC a quick boost. (You can always turn it back on again when you want to play a game.)Game Mode is turned on by default, so even if youve never played a game on your PC, its probably enabled. To turn it off, go to Settings > Gaming > Game Mode and move the Game Mode slider to Off.Game Mode can sometimes cause stability and performance issues, so turning it off may give your PC a boost.Preston Gralla / Foundry12. Update device driversYour Windows 11 PC can become a slowpoke if its drivers are old and in the way. Outdated drivers can exact a big performance hit. Graphics drivers are often the biggest culprit in driver-related slowdowns. To check whether yours is outdated, and to update to the latest one:In the Windows search box, type device manager, and click on the Device Manager icon that appears.Scroll to the Display Adapters entry and click the side-facing arrow to expand it.Right-click the driver, and from the context menu that appears, select Update Driver.Youll be asked whether to have Windows search for an updated driver, or whether you want to find one and install it manually. Your best bet is to let Windows do the work. Follow the on-screen instructions to get the driver installed.You can use the Device Manager to update all your drivers this way. Thats time-consuming, so consider asking Windows to do the work for you. To do it, launch the Settings app (pressing the Windows key + I is a good shortcut for doing it) and select Windows Update from the left pane. Select Advanced Options > Optional Updates. Youll see a list of all the updates Windows has found but hasnt installed. Select any of the drivers you want to install, then click Download & install.Tell Windows Update to update your drivers.Preston Gralla / Foundry13. Get a burst of RAM with ReadyBoostIf youve got a sluggish PC, the issue may be that you havent got enough RAM. One solution is to add more RAM to it, but that can be a daunting task if youre not comfortable opening up your computer and fussing around with its innards, or if youve got a laptop whose RAM cant be added to.For a simple, easy-to-use low-cost solution, turn to the Windows 11 feature ReadyBoost, which uses a USB flash drive to essentially boost your RAM by caching data on it. Make sure the flash drive you buy has at least 500MB free and has a minimum data transfer rate of 3.5 MB/s for 4KB random reads and 2.5 MB/s for 512KB random writes. The flash drive needs to be USB 2.0 or above, as does the slot into which youll insert it.To do it:Put the flash drive into a free slot.Right-click it in File Explorer and select Properties.From the screen that appears, select ReadyBoost > Use this device.Click OK, then Apply.Note that if Windows is installed on a solid state drive (SSD), you wont be able to use ReadyBoost, because SSDs are fast, and Windows will already be using it as a cache to boost performance.14. Roll back your PC to a previous stateSometimes your PC will slow down for no apparent reason, and stay slow. It could be a new driver slowing your system down. Perhaps accidentally you changed a system setting that caused the problem. It can be difficult, and often impossible, to get to the root of these kinds of problems and fix them.If youve noticed that your computer has become sluggish recently, theres something that might solve the issue: Restore your PC to the state it was in before the problem began. You can easily do this via System Restore.To do it:Type advanced system into the search box on the taskbar and click the View advanced system settings icon that appears.From the screen that appears, select System Protection > System Restore.On the screen that appears, select Recommended restore and click Next if you want to revert to the most recent restore point. Select Choose a different restore point if you want to choose one yourself, and click Next.Restart your PC. It will revert to its previous state. Note that when you do this, your documents, pictures, and personal data wont be deleted.If System Restore hasnt already been turned on for your system, you wont be able to revert to a previous restore point. Its easy to turn on if you want to use it in the future, though.Go to the System Protection screen as outlined above, and click Configure. Select Turn on system protection and click OK. From then on, your PC will regularly create restore points. If you want to create one right away, back on the System Protection screen, click Create.Heres how to turn on System Restore.Preston Gralla / Foundry15. Restart WindowsHeres one of ITs not-quite-secret weapons for troubleshooting and speeding up a PC: shut it down and restart it. Doing that clears out any excess use of RAM that otherwise cant be cleared. It also kills processes that you might have set in motion and are no longer needed, but that continue running and slow your system.If your Windows 11 PC has turned sluggish over time for no apparent reason, you may be surprised at how much more quickly it will run when you do this. I can vouch for it, and I restart my Windows 11 PCs regularly even if theyre not sluggish, just as a precautionary measure.This article was originally published in February 2023 and most recently updated in April 2025.[ For more tips, see Microsoft cheat sheets: Dive into Windows and Office apps ]

This is todays edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of whats going on in the world of technology.How 3D printing could make better cooling systemsA new 3D-printed design could make an integral part of cooling systems like air conditioners or refrigerators smaller and more efficient, according to new research.Heat exchangers are devices that whisk away heat, and theyre everywhereused in data centers, ships, factories, and buildings. The aim is to pass as much heat as possible from one side of the device to the other. Most use one of a few standard designs that have historically been easiest and cheapest to make.Energy demand for cooling buildings alone is set to double between now and 2050, and new designs could help efficiently meet the massive demand forecast for the coming decades. Read the full story.Casey CrownhartMIT Technology Review Narrated: The quest to figure out farming on MarsIf were going to live on Mars well need a way to grow food in its arid dirt. Researchers think they know a way.This is our latest story to be turned into a MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, whichwere publishing each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Just navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform, and follow us to get all our new content as its released.The must-readsIve combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.1 Thousands of US health agency workers have been laid offExperts warn that patients will die preventable deaths as a result. (Wired $)+ How will the US respond to the measles and bird flu outbreaks? (Reuters)+ US cuts could lead to serious delays in forecasting extreme weather. (Undark)+ The wide-ranging cuts are also likely to lose America money. (The Atlantic $)2 Donald Trump is set to discuss a proposal to save TikTokHes due to meet with aides today to thrash out a new ownership structure. (NYT $)+ Oracle and Blackstone are among the companies in talks to make an offer. (WSJ $)+ The White House is playing the role of investment bank. (The Guardian)3 X has asked the Supreme Court to exempt its users from law enforcementIt claims to be worried by broad, suspicionless requests. (FT $)4 Things arent looking good for Mexico-based Chinese companiesTrumps tariff plans could imperil an awful lot of deals. (WSJ $)+ The US Chips Act is another probable casualty. (Bloomberg $)5 US lawmakers want to regulate AI companionsA proposed bill would allow users to sue if they suffer harm from their interactions with a companion bot. (WP $)+ We need to prepare for addictive intelligence. (MIT Technology Review)6 Covid hasnt gone awayAnd life for the covid-conscious is getting increasingly difficult. (The Atlantic $)7 Brands are trying to game Reddit to show up in ChatGPT recommendationsCatering to AI search is a whole business model now. (The Information $)+ Your most important customer may be AI. (MIT Technology Review)8 Nothing could destroy the universeHumans have long been obsessed with nothingness. (New Scientist $)9 Would you flirt with a chatbot?Tinder wants you to give it a go. (Bloomberg $)+ The AI relationship revolution is already here. (MIT Technology Review)10 Trading in your Tesla is TikToks favorite trendClips of Tesla owners ditching their cars are going viral. (Fast Company $)+ This guy returned his Cybertruck out of fear his daughter would get bullied. (Insider $)+ Sales of new Teslas are slumping too. (NYT $)Quote of the dayId get on in a heartbeat.Butch Wilmore, one of the pair of astronauts who was stuck in space for nine months, explains how hed be willing to fly on the beleaguered Starliner again, the Washington Post reports.The big storyBringing the lofty ideas of pure math down to earthApril 2023Pradeep NiroulaMathematics has long been presented as a sanctuary from confusion and doubt, a place to go in search of answers. Perhaps part of the mystique comes from the fact that biographies of mathematicians often paint them as otherworldly savants.As a graduate student in physics, I have seen the work that goes into conducting delicate experiments, but the daily grind of mathematical discovery is a ritual altogether foreign to me. And this feeling is only reinforced by popular books on math, which often take the tone of a pastor dispensing sermons to the faithful.Luckily, there are ways to bring it back down to earth. Popular math books seek a fresher take on these old ideas, be it through baking recipes or hot-button political issues. My verdict: Why not? Its worth a shot. Read the full story.We can still have nice thingsA place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet em at me.)+ Why are cats the way they are? This database might help us find out.+ John McFall could become the first disabled person in space.+ ASMR at the V&A is just delightful.+ Addicted to lip balm? Youre not the only one.

Since the release of iOS 18.4, an unknown number of users are reporting the appearance of apps on their iPhones that they either previously deleted or have never installed.Apple's iOS 18.4 is allegedly installing apps users deleted before, or never boughtApple released iOS 18.4 on March 31, 2025, and alongside bringing Apple Intelligence to the EU, it also included important security updates. But an unusual issue is now being reported by users who say they are seeing apps they shouldn't.As first spotted by MacRumors, the reports all concern the appearance of unwanted apps. In some cases, they are apps that were previously installed but deleted by the user, while others seem to be entirely new installs of random apps. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

The National Labor Relations Board has indefinitely postponed two complaint cases against Apple, after the Trump administration hired an Apple lawyer away to be the lead attorney for the watchdog.The NLRB has indefinitely postponed two cases against ApplePreviously, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) found against Apple in a case about it coercively interrogating staff about their union membership. The federal agency has also accused Apple of illegally restricting workers' social media use.It's also, though, been pursuing multiple complaints including one from Janneke Parrish, who alleges that Apple fired her for organizing the #AppleToo movement. It is her case and one brought by ex-Apple engineer Cher Scarlett, that have now been halted. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

The countdown to 13th Annual A+Awards winners' announcement has begun! Stay updated by subscribing to Architizer's Awards Newsletter.Community centers play an important role in cities, offering spaces for individuals to learn, connect and share experiences. More than just physical structures, they shape how people interact with their surroundings and one another. Thoughtfully designed community centers not only meet practical needs but also foster sustainability and social well-being.Typically, these spaces serve as public hubs where community members gather for group activities, social support, public information and various other purposes. While some cater to the broader community, others focus on specific subgroups. Community centers can be community-owned, religiously affiliated, government-operated, sponsored, or commercially managed.Good architecture transforms these spaces from purely functional buildings into welcoming environments. Thoughtful use of materials, light, and spatial design enhances how people experience and engage with these places, encouraging interaction and a sense of belonging.Here, we explore seven community centers that go beyond being simple gathering spaces. These projects adopt innovative design, inclusive planning, and sustainable principles to create meaningful public spaces that bring people together in new ways.Nunawading Community HubBy fjcstudio, Nunawading, AustraliaJury Winner, Community Centers, 12th Annual A+AwardsThe community hub is built on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri Woiwurrung People of the Kulin Nation. The place is designed as a space for sharing knowledge, gathering, and celebrating the collective memories of the people who spent their childhood there. The building is interlinked with the football oval and Tunstall Park within Nunawading Primary School. The design strategy focuses on creating a space that is open and inviting to the public, providing equitable access for all. The architecture connects with the landscape and surroundings through its simple form.Kula Vocational Training & Community CenterBy BE_Design, RwandaPopular Choice Winner, Architecture +For Good, 12th Annual A+AwardsKula Vocational Training & Community Center in northern Rwanda supports female entrepreneurs and farmers. Built from local volcanic stone on a steep hill in the Virunga range, the centers design retains the slope, avoiding costly retaining walls. A covered area made from eucalyptus hosts community events, while a kitchen provides meals. Inside, there are tailoring classes and farming seminars for women. Natural light enters through a skylight and large windows, showcasing views of the volcanoes. The design is inspired by traditional Rwandan Imigongo art, featuring a tapering glass facade that offers space for administration and a counseling room for young womens health needs program.Habitat on JuersBy REFRESH*DESIGN, Brisbane, AustraliaThe community centers is at the heart of Habitat on Juers, creating a shared space where residents can come together while still maintaining options for privacy. Juers is one of 20 social housing demonstration projects being delivered by the Queensland Government. Through its learning-by-doing approach, it offers a chance to consider what lessons might be transferable to effect systemic change by contributing to the new design guidelines for future social housing. This central area includes communal amenities that encourage social interaction and foster a sense of belonging. Each home faces the garden, providing both a connection to nature and a feeling of safety. The design encourages residents to build strong community ties, supporting a way of life where people can work, socialize, and grow older in a comfortable and welcoming environment.Arverne East RISE Community Hub and Nature Preserve HouseBy WXY architecture + urban design, Queens, New YorkBuilt in 2023, the design of the Arverne East RISE Community Hub and Nature Preserve House includes gender-neutral public restrooms that are accessible for the Nature Preserve and Community Farm, as well as for visitors to Rockaway Beach and the community during operating hours. Additionally, it features new administrative offices for the staff of the Nature Preserve and Community Garden, along with the Department of Parks and Recreation Rangers, and offers a versatile meeting space for local community gatherings.Arboretum Community CenterBy ISTUDIO Architects, Washington, DCThe community center merges heritage and innovation with principles of community enrichment, a sustainable ethos, and the preservation of historical heritage. Its master plan integrates architecture and landscape to provide spaces that are multi-faceted and functional. Most importantly, the design team led a series of community meetings to discuss the recreation center. These meetings yielded a rich tapestry of requests, ranging from amenities such as a senior room to the inclusion of boxing facilities and a half-court gymattesting to the vibrant diversity within the neighborhood. Additionally, these efforts involve collaboration with the Historic Preservation Office and the Commission of Fine Arts to oversee renovations and improve historic structures; this process helps to reimagine structures and meet users expectations.Veterans Home at Chelsea, Community Living CenterBy PAYETTE, Chelsea, MassechusettsThe community center is a long-term care facility for the Commonwealths veterans. This transformative new facility features 154 private rooms organized around shared community spaces and surrounded by generous courtyards. The design and interior planning decisions were based on research, including workshops. This includes centralized dining and living rooms within the houses, bright lighting with circadian tuning, a home-like environment with positive sensory and safety enhancements, and features that allow for personalization by residents.Erlebnis-Hus St. Peter-OrdingBy Holzer Kobler Architekturen Berlin, Sankt Peter-Ording, GermanyErlebnis-Hus St. Peter-Ording, built in 2023, aims to serve visitors of all ages and backgrounds as an inclusive meeting point. The construction features five oversized solid wood cubes that are positioned at various heights. Each of these five cubes serves a distinct purpose: they house an analog game venue, an information center and shop, a restaurant, a staff office, and sanitary facilities. A large number of terraces and stairs make the building accessible and functional on multiple outdoor levels, while a reinforced concrete core with an elevator and utility rooms stabilizes the iconic wooden structure.The countdown to 13th Annual A+Awards winners' announcement has begun! Stay updated by subscribing to Architizer's Awards Newsletter.The post More Than Bingo Nights: 7 Community Centers Raising the Social Standard appeared first on Journal.

While Steel Seed was originally slated for an April 10 launch, publisher ESDigital Games and developer Storm in a Teacup have announced that there will be a slight delay in the titles release. In a statement, the companies have revealed that Steel Seed will instead be coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on April 22.The publisher and developer both explain the delay as being required because the development teams have faced some technical hurdles. While the announcement doesnt go too deep into these hurdles, they are seemingly related to platform adaptation related to certification tests that studios have to run on their game for a console release.Since the games announcement, your excitement has been truly inspiring, and we know how much youve been looking forward to a deep dive into a dark sci-fi future on all platforms, wrote ESDigital Games head of marketing Ilia Svanidze in a statement announcing the delay.Thats why we want to be completely open with you: We encountered some technical hurdles related to platform adaptation when running our platform certification tests. Rather than rushing the console release and risking a potentially substandard console user experience that requires swift patching, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to delay the launch.Svanidze also explained that the studio will be using the extra time it is getting from the delay to further polish all versions of the game.Our goal is to ensure that all players, regardless of platform, enjoy a polished and seamless experience, wrote Svanidze. We are committed to delivering the ebst possible experience for our players. This additional time will allow us to optimise and polish all versions for launch, so they meet the standard we know you deserve.While Steel Seed is seeing a slight delay, as caught by WCCFTech, the games store listing on Steam has also been updated, revealing the required PC specs to play the game. The requirements for the game are quite modest, all things considered.The minimum CPU required for Steel Seed is an Intel i7-3770K 3.,50 GHz or AMD equivalent CPU, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070, Intel Arc 580 or AMD equivalent GPU. The recommended specs bumps this up slightly to an Intel Core i7 6700K 4.0 GHz or AMD equivalent CPU, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070, Intel Arc 770 or an AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT GPU.Aside from these, Steel Seed will also require players to run on Windows 10 or 11, and requires 16 GB of RAM and 50 GB of storage space.Leading up to its release later this month, Steel Seed recently got a trailer that gave us a solid look at the opening few minutes of gameplay. In the trailer, protagonist Zoe and her robotic companion KOBY had to platform, sneak and fight their way through a collapsing industrial building as they try and figure out what is happening around them.The title was originally announced all the way back in June 2023 during the Future Games Show of the time with a trailer.Looks like its our turn to post the Square Image Of Doom, so lets get this over with quickly, yeah?Were moving Steel Seeds launch date to April 22 due to a few technical hurdles related to consoles.No, its not an April Fools joke (though wed much rather liked it to be pic.twitter.com/4b9LfebtUS ESDigital Games (@ESDigital_Games) April 1, 2025