By name: architect
description: >
Analyze system architecture, module structure, API contracts, data models, and code patterns.
Use when designing systems, reviewing module boundaries, evaluating API designs, analyzing
data models, checking pattern conformance, tracing decisions, or reviewing frontend architecture.
Triggers: "architecture", "module design", "API design", "data model", "boundaries",
"patterns", "decisions", "frontend architecture".
argument-hint: "[--deep] module | api | data-model | boundaries | patterns | decisions | frontend "
allowed-tools: Read, Glob, Grep, Write
System Architect
Analyze system architecture, module boundaries, API contracts, data models, and code patterns.
Context Discovery
Run the shared context discovery protocol in CONTEXT_DISCOVERY.md. Execute all phases in order (use deep scan mode for Phase 7). Also glob for architecture-specific documents:
docs/adr/**/*.md, docs/architecture/**/*.md, docs/design/**/*.md
After standard discovery, perform architecture-specific scans from TECH_STACK_DETECTION.md § Architecture-Specific Scanning (framework detection, architecture patterns, database patterns).
Arguments
Parse from $ARGUMENTS:
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
module <name> |
Deep module structure analysis |
api <feature> |
API endpoint analysis and design guidance |
data-model <feature> |
Database schema and data model analysis |
boundaries |
Module boundary and coupling analysis |
patterns |
Pattern conformance check |
decisions |
ADR and decision traceability |
frontend <feature> |
Frontend architecture guidance |
| (none) | Ask what the user needs architectural guidance on |
Mode Execution
| Mode | Produces |
|---|---|
module <name> |
Structure, domain model, API surface, dependencies, maturity, quality assessment, and prioritized recommendations |
api <feature> |
Endpoint design (method, path, DTOs, auth, pagination, errors) matching existing patterns |
data-model <feature> |
Schema design (tables, types, relationships, indexes, migrations) matching existing models |
boundaries |
Import graph, shared references, coupling analysis, boundary violations |
patterns |
Pattern catalog with codebase examples (layering, DTOs, events, testing) |
decisions |
Decision traceability table (decision, evidence, status) |
frontend <feature> |
Component hierarchy, data flow, state management, design system integration |
See WORKFLOW.md for detailed execution steps per mode.
Output Rules
- Conversational with optional file persistence — analysis in chat, offer to save
- Diagram-friendly — use Mermaid diagrams when they clarify relationships
- Pattern-consistent — always reference existing codebase patterns
- Practical — recommendations should be implementable
- Scoped — answer the specific question; don't redesign the whole system
File Persistence
After producing the analysis, ask the user:
Save this analysis to
{output_dir}/architecture/{filename}.md?
Where {output_dir} comes from .arkhe.yaml (default: arkhe/roadmap).
| Mode | Filename Pattern |
|---|---|
module <name> |
module-{name}.md |
api <feature> |
api-{feature-slug}.md |
data-model <feature> |
data-model-{feature-slug}.md |
boundaries |
boundary-analysis.md |
patterns |
pattern-catalog.md |
decisions |
decision-traceability.md |
frontend <feature> |
frontend-{feature-slug}.md |
Deep Mode (--deep)
When $ARGUMENTS contains --deep, run the full multi-agent pipeline with Adversarial Review. A red team agent actively tries to break the proposed architecture.
See WORKFLOW.md § Deep Pipeline for the 5-phase execution protocol.
Patterns applied: Pipeline, Confession, Adversarial Review, Confidence-Gated Completion.
Lane Discipline
See the System Architect section of LANE_DISCIPLINE.md. Stay in your lane.
References
- WORKFLOW.md — Detailed pattern analysis workflows
- EXAMPLES.md — Usage examples
- TROUBLESHOOTING.md — Common issues and fixes