Architecture as Code (Specifying Architecture for Humans and Agents)

Software architecture isn't just a bunch of diagrams but rather represents decisions about design, trade-offs, governance, and a host of other concerns. And, what if agents are building at least parts of your system? How do you explain architecture to them?

Architecture as Code offers a new approach: defining architecture itself in executable form, creating a medium to communicate intent and using agentic AI with guardrails, fitness functions, and other verification mechanisms to ensure the architect's intent aligns with the implementation.

Acclaimed software architects Neal Ford, Mark Richards, and Jonathan Johnson present a practical framework for treating architecture like source code. By creating a succinct, agent-friendly, unambiguous language to define architecture, Architecture as Code provides valuable feedback for design. By capturing these intersections in code, teams (human and agentic) can continuously validate alignment with technical and business goals, reduce risk, and evolve systems with confidence.

This is your go-to guide for making architecture measurable, verifiable, and adaptable at scale. With clear examples and proven practices, this book shows you how to:

• Define architectural decisions and constraints as code for humans and agents
• Continuously test and validate architecture across implementation, infrastructure, and teams
• Align architecture with business objectives and compliance requirements
• Establish an agentic mesh that unifies constraints across multiple intersection points
• Leverage agentic AI to help craft and evolve fitness functions