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I've spoken several times about a specific type of architecture I call "Onion Architecture". I've found that it leads to more maintainable applications since it emphasizes separation of concerns throughout the system. I must set the context for the use of this architecture before proceeding. This architecture is not appropriate for small websites. It is appropriate for long-lived business applications as well as applications with complex behavior. It emphasizes the use of interfaces for behavior contracts, and it forces the externalization of infrastructure. The diagram you see here is a representation of traditional layered architecture. This is the basic architecture I see most frequently used. Each subsequent layer depends on the layers beneath it, and then every layer normally will depend on some common infrastructure and utility services. The big drawback to this top-down layered architecture is the coupling that it creates. Each layer is coupled to the layers below it, and each layer is often coupled to various infrastructure concerns. However, without coupling, our systems wouldn't do anything useful, but this architecture creates unnecessary coupling.