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Inverting the conventional narrative, this story begins at the end. The day after the world's collapse. While almost the entire population struggles to survive flames and solar storms, a tiny fraction is greeted by a heavily armed guard at the entrance to the Survival Condo Project, a former missile silo in Kansas converted a few years ago into luxury apartments.

Forget, then, the hermit who stockpiles canned food in his basement or the end-times prophet. In recent years, survivalism has expanded into wealthier circles, taking root in Silicon Valley among technology executives and hedge fund managers. What could once be seen merely as an eccentricity has also become a way of thinking about the future and, for some, an investment.

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As one walks along the beachfront of Barcelona, the shoreline feels like it has always been there: sand, palm trees, a long promenade, restaurants, shops and modern hotels, when the reality is that it has not always been this way. Until the 1980s, Barcelona's seafront was a working barrier of railway lines, factories and informal housing, and wastewater ran straight into the Mediterranean. Starting in 1987, Barcelona has continuously created large promenades and passages between the city and the sea, creating an environment that today many might read as previously empty space, but is actually the result of decades of infrastructure and social complexity, along with a municipal effort to transform the city's territory and its relationship to the water. Following that transformation raises three questions that frame this article: who was displaced to open the waterfront, who governs it today, and who keeps it standing?

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The RIBA Stirling Prize 2026 has been awarded to Lion Green Road, a housing development in Coulsdon, South London, designed by Mary Duggan Architects with RUFFARCHITECTS for Croydon Council. Comprising 157 homes across five residential blocks, the project combines privately owned and socially rented housing on a former car park. Presented annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the Stirling Prize recognizes a building considered to make a significant contribution to the evolution of architecture and the built environment. The 2026 winner was announced at a ceremony at Old Billingsgate in London on October 15, marking the prize's 30th anniversary.

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This week, questions about housing, safety, and the future of cities came into focus, from the impact of natural hazards to architecture's role in shaping more inclusive urban environments. The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, observed on October 13 under the theme "Resilience Starts at Home," highlighted these questions just days after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Panama, damaging buildings and prompting evacuations nationwide. Beyond disaster preparedness, the week's developments also reflect broader efforts to address housing needs, give existing buildings new purposes, and create spaces that support education, culture, and public life.

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Portuguese architecture and urbanism practice OODA has released new images of an urban design project in Prague, Czech Republic. The design transforms an existing building block into a permeable site with municipal social housing, commercial units, and a landscaped central plaza. The project, titled Kodaňská 1441, prioritizes walkability, green mobility and public space. In addition to opening new connections between the existing building and the urban fabric, it includes a landscape and water management system that increases the permeable surfaces of the courtyard by 21.5%. The project is an example of urban renewal that incorporates contemporary concerns such as communal spaces, a regulated relationship with public space, planted environments, and the sustainable use of natural resources.

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