PHP Systems Architecture Consultancy
Poor PHP architecture compounds with every feature added. Tangled dependencies, fat controllers, business logic buried in views — these aren't just code quality problems, they're upgrade blockers and valuation risks. We design clean, layered PHP application structures that can be maintained, upgraded, and handed over without chaos.
What PHP systems architecture work involves
Architecture audit
We analyse your existing codebase for coupling problems, violated boundaries, and structural debt. We measure cyclomatic complexity, dependency graphs, and layer violations — and produce a written assessment of what's blocking you and why.
Domain logic separation
Business rules that live in controllers, views, or raw SQL queries can't be tested, can't be reused, and can't survive a framework migration. We extract domain logic into a framework-agnostic core: pure PHP classes that own the rules and depend on nothing external.
Service boundary design
We define clear interfaces between layers — application services, domain repositories, infrastructure adapters. This makes each component replaceable and testable in isolation, and sets the foundation for safe incremental upgrades using tools like Rector.
Layered architecture roadmap
Architecture doesn't change overnight. We produce a prioritised migration path: which parts to restructure first, which to leave until later, and how to move incrementally without freezing feature development. Every step is production-safe.
Patterns and approaches we use
- ✓Hexagonal / Ports and Adapters architecture
- ✓Domain-Driven Design (DDD) tactical patterns
- ✓CQRS and event sourcing where appropriate
- ✓Clean Architecture and dependency inversion
- ✓Symfony service layer and DI container design
- ✓Repository pattern over raw SQL / Active Record
- ✓Anti-corruption layers for legacy code integration
- ✓Strangler Fig for incremental migration
Why architecture work comes before automated refactoring
Running Rector or any automated refactoring tool against a structurally unsound codebase moves the mess around without fixing it. Architecture work establishes the target state — the structure you're refactoring toward. Once that's defined, automated tools like Rector can apply transformations with confidence that the result is correct and maintainable.
This is why our engagements typically start with a Valuation Recovery Report that covers architecture before touching the code.