Section 28 · Code Quality & Architecture

Code Architecture

SOLID principles compliance, code quality tooling, and build performance

3 items 3 recommended

This guide walks you through auditing a project's code architecture - specifically SOLID principles compliance, code quality tooling, and build performance.

The Goal: Maintainable, Fast Builds

Code should stay clean through regular architectural oversight, measurable quality metrics, and builds fast enough that developers actually run them.

SOLID compliance — principles documented and regularly audited through AI-assisted or manual code review
Measured quality — tools configured to detect duplication, complexity, and code smells with visible results
Fast builds — under 3 minutes clean, under 30 seconds cached, so developers don't avoid running them
Visible metrics — quality gates inform development decisions, not just exist in CI logs
Documented decisions — architecture choices recorded in ADRs, guidelines, or agent instructions

Before You Start

Identify primary language/framework (TypeScript, Python, Go, etc.)
Identify build system (Vite, Webpack, esbuild, Turbo, etc.)
Check for existing code quality tools (ESLint, SonarQube, CodeClimate)
Understand CI/CD pipeline (where quality checks and builds run)

SOLID Principles

ARCH-001

SOLID Principles Audited Regularly recommended

Code follows SOLID principles and is regularly audited for compliance, preferably by AI agents

“When did you last audit for god classes?”

Code Quality

ARCH-002

Code Quality Measurement Tools recommended

Tooling to measure code health - duplication, complexity, and overall quality with visible results

“How much duplication is hiding in your codebase?”

Build Performance

ARCH-003

Build Performance recommended

Builds complete quickly - under 3 minutes clean, under 30 seconds cached

“How long does your CI take — and is anyone bothered?”