| name | architecture-review-criteria |
| description | Use when reviewing DESIGN artefacts (event models, ADRs, component diagrams, context maps, interface contracts) for quality, DDD compliance, and architectural correctness. Contains gate definitions and scoring rubric for the solution-architect-reviewer lenses. |
Architecture Review Criteria
Overview
9 gates across 3 lenses, applied by the solution-architect-reviewer agent to DESIGN artefacts. Gates enforce DDD correctness, Clean Architecture compliance, and fitness for the stories in scope.
Applied by: solution-architect-reviewer
Applied to: ADRs, event models, component diagrams, context maps, interface contracts
Prior phase required: DESIGN artefacts from solution-architect
Gate Definitions
Lens 1 — consistency-lens
Evaluates: ADRs + diagrams + contracts
| Gate | Definition | Pass condition | Severity |
|---|
| G1 | Every structural element in a diagram (aggregate, bounded context, pattern) has a traceable ADR justification. No element exists without an architectural rationale. | All structural elements in all diagrams reference at least one ADR. | HIGH |
| G2 | No two ADRs contradict each other. If one ADR supersedes another, the superseded ADR is marked Superseded by ADR-{NNN}. | Zero contradicting decisions across all ADRs. Zero un-linked supersessions. | BLOCKER |
Lens 2 — architecture-compliance-lens
Evaluates: diagrams + contracts + event models
| Gate | Definition | Pass condition | Severity |
|---|
| G3 | Dependency rule: Domain and Application layers have no dependencies on Infrastructure or API layers. | Zero imports of Infrastructure or API types in Domain or Application contracts. | BLOCKER |
| G4 | All application interfaces (repositories, gateways, event publishers) are defined in the Application layer contracts. None are defined in Infrastructure. | Zero infrastructure-defined interfaces in contracts. All I* interfaces listed under Application layer. | BLOCKER |
| G5 | Each aggregate enforces its own invariants. No aggregate enforces invariants that belong to another aggregate. | Zero cross-aggregate invariant references in contracts or diagrams. | HIGH |
| G6 | Context map declares every inter-context relationship with an explicit pattern (ACL, Conformist, Shared Kernel, Partnership, Open Host Service, Published Language). | Zero unlabelled arrows between bounded contexts in context-map.md. | HIGH |
Lens 3 — fitness-lens
Evaluates: diagrams + contracts + stories
| Gate | Definition | Pass condition | Severity |
|---|
| G7 | Every story from DISCUSS maps to at least one command, event, or read model in the event model. | All story IDs from stories-{milestone}.md appear in at least one event model slice. | HIGH |
| G8 | Every command in contracts has at least one corresponding domain event. No dangling commands. | Zero commands without a corresponding domain event in contracts or diagrams. | HIGH |
| G9 | No aggregate, bounded context, Event Sourcing adoption, or Saga is introduced without a traceable story justification. | Zero unjustified architectural elements. Every element traces back to a story ID. | MEDIUM |
Severity Definitions
| Severity | Definition | Impact |
|---|
| BLOCKER | Fundamental violation that invalidates the architecture. Cannot proceed to DISTILL. | Forces rejected verdict |
| HIGH | Significant flaw that will cause problems in DISTILL or implementation. Requires correction. | Forces changes_requested verdict |
| MEDIUM | Design smell or sub-optimal choice. Correction recommended before DISTILL. | Forces changes_requested verdict |
| LOW | Minor inconsistency or style issue. Can be noted and tracked. | May still yield approved with notes |
Verdict Derivation Table
| Condition | Verdict |
|---|
| ≥1 BLOCKER finding | rejected |
| ≥1 HIGH finding, 0 BLOCKERs | changes_requested |
| MEDIUM findings only, 0 HIGH, 0 BLOCKER | changes_requested |
| LOW findings only | approved (with notes) |
| Zero findings | approved |
DDD Compliance Rules Summary
- Aggregates are identified by the invariants they enforce, not by their data
- Cross-aggregate references use IDs only — never object references
- Domain events are raised by aggregate roots, not application services
- Repository interfaces live in Application layer, not Domain or Infrastructure
- Bounded context boundaries map to language boundaries — if the same word means different things, there is a boundary
- Context map relationships are explicit and labelled — implicit dependencies are forbidden
- Subdomains are classified (Core/Supporting/Generic) and the investment level is justified
YAGNI Detection Heuristics
Apply during G9 evaluation:
| Element | Question to ask |
|---|
| New bounded context | Which story requires this context to be separate? |
| New aggregate | Which invariant does this aggregate enforce? Which story produces that invariant? |
| Event Sourcing | Which story requires audit trail or temporal queries? |
| Saga | Which cross-aggregate workflow spans multiple stories? |
| ACL | Which conflicting model in the upstream context makes translation necessary? |
If the answer is "none" or "future needs" — flag as G9 MEDIUM violation.
References
