The article examines the features of adaptive design in construction as a fundamental component for ensuring life safety in the zone of a special military operation. The modern world is changing at an incredible pace: climate anomalies are becoming more frequent, technological paradigms are being replaced within years, and social and economic conditions are undergoing constant transformations. Nowhere are these challenges manifested as acutely and concentratedly as in the zone of a special military operation (SMO). It is precisely here that the traditional approach to construction, focused on creating static, "frozen" objects, proves not only ineffective but also dangerous. It is being replaced by adaptive design – a philosophy and methodology that views a building or infrastructure object not as a final product, but as a living, evolving organism capable of evolving in response to direct threats and changing operational conditions. Adaptive design is a strategy for creating architectural objects and urban planning systems that can be easily modified, transformed, or repurposed in response to changes in external or internal conditions. In peacetime, this is a response to changing markets and technologies. In the zone of a special military operation, it is a matter of ensuring life safety. This is not simply post-factum repair or reconstruction, but the inherent ability of an object to instantly change its function and protective properties without radical rebuilding. The experience of the special military operation zone has openly proven that adaptive design is not an abstract idea from construction textbooks, but a critically important discipline upon which people's lives and the success of the assigned task depend. The principles of flexibility, modularity, and multifunctionality that are being tested today in extreme conditions will tomorrow become the new standard for the entire construction complex of the Russian Federation. They will form the basis for the restoration of cities, the creation of sustainable civil infrastructure, and the formation of new, anti-crisis architecture capable of withstanding the challenges of both wartime and peacetime. In the zone of a special military operation, architectural heritage is being tested and created, which will remain functional, in demand, and sustainable tomorrow. The future of construction belongs to those who design not for years, but for possibilities.

Keywords: adaptive construction, modern trends, modern design technologies, construction industry, construction processes, special military operation