Stop blaming architecture: understand the decisions behind it

You’ve probably heard someone complain about an architectural decision:

Yet at the time it was made, the decision was perfectly reasonable, whether due to time-to-market pressure, compatibility requirements, or other contextual factors.

In this series of articles, we’ll explore several key concepts that help structure and manage architectural knowledge. The goal is simple: to capture, share, and track architectural decisions so that anyone can understand not only what was decided, but also why it made sense at the time.

What is an architecture knowledge management ?

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An architecture knowledge management (AKM) is designed to store, organize, and distribute architecture knowledge within an organization.

In simple terms, the main objective is to document an architecture decision (AD) based on an architecturally significant requirement (ASR) within an architecture decision record (ADR). All ADRs are then gathered in an architecture decision log (ADL).

The core element is therefore the creation of an ADR, as it’s what will allow us to understand today’s choices later on. In the next article, we’ll introduce the concept of an ASR, which is not as straightforward as it might seem.

ASR: The real driver behind every architecture decision

5 December 2025·3 mins

Tech Architecture

Not every requirement shapes the way a system is built, but some leave a lasting mark on the architecture. These are the requirements that really matter, what architects call architecturally significant requirements (ASRs). Spotting them early is key because they influence critical decisions, affect performance, and sometimes make or break a project. In this article, we’ll break down what ASRs are, why they deserve special attention, and how to prioritize them objectively to guide your architecture in the right direction.