#architecture-review.md
Version: 1.0.0
Target Models
- GPT-6 Astra
- GPT-5.6
- GPT-5.5
- GPT-5 Family
- Future GPT Models
#Purpose
This document defines the Architecture Review methodology for software engineering.
Architecture review ensures that every implementation strengthens the overall system rather than introducing technical debt.
The objective is to verify that new code integrates naturally into the existing architecture while improving scalability, maintainability, reliability, and long-term engineering quality.
Architecture should evolve intentionally—not accidentally.
#Core Philosophy
Understand
↓
Observe
↓
Analyze
↓
Evaluate
↓
Improve
↓
Verify
↓
Approve
Architecture is a system of decisions.
Every implementation is an architectural decision.
#Primary Objective
Every architecture review should answer one question.
"If this implementation becomes the foundation for the next five years, would we confidently build on top of it?"
If the answer is uncertain,
the architecture requires improvement.
#Architecture Principles
Every architecture should maximize
Correctness
↓
Simplicity
↓
Maintainability
↓
Scalability
↓
Reliability
↓
Extensibility
↓
Developer Experience
↓
Operational Stability
Never sacrifice architecture for short-term convenience.
#Review Workflow
Understand Product
↓
Understand Existing System
↓
Review Architecture
↓
Review Dependencies
↓
Review Scalability
↓
Review Risks
↓
Review Future Growth
↓
Approve
#Stage 1 — System Understanding
Before reviewing determine
What problem does the system solve?
↓
Who are the users?
↓
What are the business objectives?
↓
What constraints exist?
↓
What is the expected scale?
Architecture without business understanding is incomplete.
#Stage 2 — Structural Review
Inspect
Modules
Packages
Services
Layers
Boundaries
Responsibilities
Folder organization
Project structure
Every module should have one clear responsibility.
#Stage 3 — Responsibility Review
Verify
Single Responsibility
Separation of Concerns
Encapsulation
Dependency Direction
Abstraction Boundaries
Business Logic Isolation
Responsibilities should never overlap.
#Stage 4 — Dependency Review
Review
Internal dependencies
External dependencies
Shared utilities
Third-party libraries
Dependency direction
Circular dependencies
Tight coupling
Dependencies should move inward.
Complexity should not.
#Stage 5 — Layer Review
Verify
Presentation Layer
Business Layer
Application Layer
Infrastructure Layer
Persistence Layer
Each layer should communicate through well-defined boundaries.
Avoid leaking implementation details across layers.
#Stage 6 — Component Review
Inspect
Components
Services
Hooks
Utilities
Providers
Contexts
Controllers
Repositories
Components should be cohesive.
Not overloaded.
#Stage 7 — Data Flow Review
Verify
Input flow
Business processing
State updates
Database interactions
API communication
Output generation
Data should move predictably.
Avoid hidden flows.
#Stage 8 — State Management Review
Review
Global state
Local state
Server state
Caching
Synchronization
Derived state
State ownership
State should exist only where necessary.
#Stage 9 — API Architecture Review
Inspect
Service boundaries
REST consistency
Versioning
Authentication
Authorization
Validation
Error handling
Contracts
APIs are architectural boundaries.
Protect them carefully.
#Stage 10 — Database Architecture Review
Review
Schema design
Relationships
Indexes
Constraints
Transactions
Migration strategy
Data ownership
Database design should support future growth.
#Stage 11 — Scalability Review
Evaluate
Horizontal scaling
Vertical scaling
Stateless services
Caching
Queue systems
Concurrency
Large datasets
Future feature expansion
Architecture should scale without redesign.
#Stage 12 — Performance Architecture Review
Inspect
Rendering strategy
Query efficiency
Caching
Lazy loading
Streaming
Async processing
Background jobs
Architecture should eliminate bottlenecks.
Not hide them.
#Stage 13 — Security Architecture Review
Verify
Authentication
Authorization
Trust boundaries
Secret management
Encryption
Validation
Privilege separation
Security should exist throughout the architecture.
Not only at the API layer.
#Stage 14 — Reliability Review
Review
Retries
Timeouts
Fallbacks
Recovery
Logging
Monitoring
Error isolation
Failure domains
Reliable systems expect failure.
#Stage 15 — Extensibility Review
Ask
Can new features be added without rewriting existing modules?
↓
Can new services be introduced naturally?
↓
Can functionality be extended through existing abstractions?
Architecture should welcome change.
Not resist it.
#Stage 16 — Maintainability Review
Inspect
Code organization
Naming
Documentation
Consistency
Module size
Abstraction quality
Developer onboarding
Future engineers should understand the architecture quickly.
#Stage 17 — Operational Review
Verify
Deployment
Configuration
Environment management
Secrets
Observability
Monitoring
Logging
Disaster recovery
Architecture continues beyond development.
#Stage 18 — Technical Debt Review
Identify
Duplicated systems
Large modules
Circular dependencies
Dead code
Unused abstractions
Hidden complexity
Over-engineering
Technical debt should decrease after every review.
#Stage 19 — Future Readiness Review
Evaluate
Growth potential
Team scalability
Feature scalability
Multi-region support
Localization
Plugin architecture
Microservice migration
Future architecture should require evolution.
Not replacement.
#Architecture Quality Attributes
Review
Correctness
Reliability
Availability
Maintainability
Extensibility
Security
Scalability
Observability
Performance
Portability
Interoperability
Developer Experience
Each attribute contributes to long-term software quality.
#Review Questions
Before approval ask
Does every module have one responsibility?
↓
Does every dependency have purpose?
↓
Can the system grow naturally?
↓
Will another engineer understand this?
↓
Does architecture remain consistent?
↓
Does this reduce technical debt?
↓
Would this architecture survive five years of development?
#Severity Levels
Critical
Broken architecture
Security boundary violation
Data integrity risk
Circular dependency
Major
Poor separation
Over-coupling
Weak abstractions
Scalability concern
Minor
Naming
Folder organization
Documentation
Refactoring opportunity
Suggestion
Improved abstraction
Future optimization
Better organization
#Architecture Checklist
✓ Clear responsibilities
✓ Layer separation
✓ Dependency direction
✓ Scalable design
✓ Reliable communication
✓ Secure boundaries
✓ Minimal coupling
✓ High cohesion
✓ Future extensibility
✓ Operational readiness
✓ Technical debt reduced
✓ Documentation updated
#Anti-Patterns
Avoid
God Objects
Massive Components
Circular Dependencies
Business Logic Inside UI
Database Logic Inside Controllers
Duplicated Systems
Deep Inheritance
Hidden Dependencies
Over-Abstraction
Premature Microservices
Architecture Driven By Framework
Architecture Without Business Purpose
#Definition of Done
Architecture review is complete when
- Every architectural decision has a clear purpose.
- System boundaries remain well defined.
- Responsibilities are properly separated.
- Dependencies are intentional and minimal.
- Scalability has been considered.
- Reliability is improved.
- Security boundaries are preserved.
- Technical debt has not increased.
- Future engineers can extend the system confidently.
- The implementation strengthens the architecture instead of weakening it.
Great architecture is invisible to users but invaluable to engineers.
Its success is measured not by complexity, but by how easily the system can evolve over time.