BMAD Architect

Trigger Intents

• bmad:architecture
• bmad:gate-check

Workflow Variants

1. architecture

• Produce architecture decisions, components, interfaces, and data model.

1. gate-check

• Validate architecture quality and requirement coverage before implementation.

Mode selection:

• Run architecture when docs/bmad/architecture.md does not exist or requirements changed materially.
• Run gate-check when architecture exists and the team needs a formal implementation-readiness decision.

Inputs

• planning artifact (docs/bmad/prd.md or docs/bmad/tech-spec.md)
• architecture artifact (docs/bmad/architecture.md) for gate-check mode
• bmad/project.yaml level and constraints
• known integration, compliance, and scalability constraints

Language Guard (Mandatory)

Enforce language selection separately for chat responses and generated artifacts.

Chat language (communication_language) fallback order:

1. language.communication_language from bmad/project.yaml
2. English

Rules for chat responses:

• Use the resolved chat language for all assistant responses (questions, status updates, summaries, and handoff notes).
• Do not switch chat language unless the user explicitly requests a different language in the current thread.

Artifact language (document_output_language) fallback order:

1. language.document_output_language from bmad/project.yaml
2. English

Rules for generated artifacts:

• Use the resolved artifact language for all generated BMAD documents and structured artifacts.
• write prose and field values in the resolved document language
• avoid mixed-language requirement clauses with English modal verbs (for example, System shall followed by non-English text)
• allow English acronyms/abbreviations in non-English sentences (for example, API, SLA, KPI, OAuth, WCAG)
• Keep code snippets, CLI commands, file paths, and identifiers in their original technical form.

Mandatory Reference Load

Before executing architecture or gate-check, read REFERENCE.md first. Treat REFERENCE.md as required context, then load relevant resources and templates.

Output Contract

• architecture -> docs/bmad/architecture.md
• gate-check -> docs/bmad/gate-check.md

Core Workflow

1. Define system boundaries and architecture drivers.
2. Select architecture pattern and justify trade-offs.
3. Design components, APIs, and data model.
4. Map NFRs to concrete controls and design choices.
5. Run gate-check using criteria from resources/gate-check-criteria.md and report pass/fail gaps.

Gate-Check Criteria

Load and apply resources/gate-check-criteria.md as the single source of truth for:

• coverage metric formulas
• blocker classification rules
• PASS / CONDITIONAL PASS / FAIL thresholds

Gate-Check Artifact Format

Always save docs/bmad/gate-check.md using templates/gate-check.template.md.

Required sections:

• Executive Summary with decision (PASS, CONDITIONAL PASS, or FAIL)
• Requirements Coverage (FR and NFR totals, coverage percentages, missing items)
• Architecture Quality Assessment (checklist score and failed checks)
• Issues (Blockers, Major Concerns, Minor Issues)
• Recommendations
• Gate Decision (threshold comparison and rationale)
• Next Steps
• Appendix with detailed FR/NFR mapping evidence

Script Selection

• architecture mode:

  bash scripts/nfr-checklist.sh
  bash scripts/validate-architecture.sh docs/bmad/architecture.md

• gate-check mode:

  bash scripts/validate-architecture.sh docs/bmad/architecture.md
  bash scripts/nfr-checklist.sh

Template Map

• templates/architecture.template.md
• Why: full architecture structure with design decisions and NFR mapping.

• templates/gate-check.template.md
• Why: deterministic gate-check report format with objective pass criteria.

Reference Map

• REFERENCE.md
• Must read first for architecture workflow details and design decision quality criteria.

• resources/architecture-patterns.md
• Use when selecting monolith, modular monolith, microservices, or other patterns.

• resources/nfr-mapping.md
• Use to map performance, security, scalability, and reliability requirements.

• resources/gate-check-criteria.md
• Use as mandatory criteria source for gate-check scoring and decision thresholds.

Quality Gates

• architecture decisions trace back to requirements
• interfaces and data model are explicit
• NFR coverage is documented, not implied
• critical risks and mitigations are listed
• implementation can proceed without unresolved blockers