Systems architecting: an emergent discipline?

Systems architecting applies the spirit of civil and naval architecture to complex, multi-disciplinary systems in aerospace, electronics, and information processing, The system architect is responsible for the beginning and end of a systems development cycle. The architect emphasizes blending of client needs and technical capabilities to outline a feasible system concept, following the heuristic "All the really important mistakes are made the first day." The architects second major responsibility is to certify the built system as fit for use. Are these activities distinct from other system engineering activities? Is there a recognizable approach to doing them, an architecting approach? The author, along with a group centered at the University of Southern California, thinks so. This paper makes the case.