Software Architecture in Practice, Third Edition

24. Architecture Competence

The ideal architect should be a man of letters, a skillful draftsman, a mathematician, familiar with historical studies, a diligent student of philosophy, acquainted with music, not ignorant of medicine, learned in the responses of jurisconsults, familiar with astronomy and astronomical calculations.

—Vitruvius, De Architectura (25 B.C.)

The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.

—Geoffrey Chaucer

If software architecture is worth “doing,” surely it’s worth doing well. Most of the literature about architecture concentrates on the technical aspects. This is not surprising; it is a deeply technical discipline. There is little information that speaks to the fact that architectures are created by architects working ...