Linked.Archi ArchiMate 4.0 Taxonomy
type: Ontology
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
preferred namespace prefix: am4tax
creator: Kalin Maldzhanski
description: Pure SKOS taxonomy classifying ArchiMate 4.0 elements by domain and by aspect. ArchiMate 4.0 replaces the layer-based structure of 3.x with a domain-based organization (Common, Business, Application, Technology, Strategy, Motivation, Implementation & Migration). For OWL abstract classes used in SHACL constraint checking, see archimate4-onto.ttl.
editorial note: This taxonomy and the OWL abstract classes in archimate4-onto.ttl serve complementary purposes and are NOT duplicates: SKOS concepts (this file) OWL classes (onto file) ───────────────────────── ────────────────────────── am4tax:ActiveStructureAspect am4:ActiveStructureElement am4tax:CommonDomain am4:CommonDomainElement Purpose: navigation, palette Purpose: formal semantics, generation, UI filtering, SHACL constraint checking, SKOS visualization tools SPARQL reasoning Example: a modeling tool reads Example: a SHACL shape checks skos:narrower to populate the rdf:type/rdfs:subClassOf* element palette grouped by am4:BehaviorElement to enforce domain and aspect. "triggering can only connect behavior elements". The two are linked via rdfs:seeAlso on each SKOS concept pointing to its corresponding OWL class.
created: 2026-04-19
modified: 2026-04-29
publisher: Linked.Archi
publisher: linked.archi
status: draft
version IRI: 4.0#
version info: 4.0
source: archimate4-doc

ArchiMate 4.0 Concept Scheme
type: ConceptScheme
definition: Classification of ArchiMate 4.0 elements by domain and by aspect.
has top concept: Element by Domain
has top concept: Element by Aspect

Element by Domain
type: Concept
definition: Classification of ArchiMate 4.0 elements by their architectural domain — the primary organizational grouping in the ArchiMate 4.0 framework (replacing layers from 3.x).
top concept of: ArchiMate 4.0 Concept Scheme
in scheme: ArchiMate 4.0 Concept Scheme

Common Domain
type: Concept
definition: Generic, cross-domain elements shared across Business, Application, and Technology. New in ArchiMate 4.0, the Common Domain contains behavior elements (Process, Function, Event, Service) that were previously duplicated per layer, plus generic active structure elements (Role, Collaboration, Path) and composite elements (Grouping, Location).
broader: Element by Domain
in scheme: ArchiMate 4.0 Concept Scheme
narrower: Role
narrower: Collaboration
narrower: Path
narrower: Service
narrower: Process
narrower: Function
narrower: Event
narrower: Grouping
narrower: Location

Business Domain
type: Concept
definition: Elements specific to the business domain: actors, interfaces, objects, and products. In ArchiMate 4.0, behavior elements previously in the Business layer (BusinessProcess, BusinessFunction, etc.) have been merged into the Common Domain.
broader: Element by Domain
in scheme: ArchiMate 4.0 Concept Scheme
narrower: BusinessActor
narrower: BusinessInterface
narrower: BusinessObject
narrower: Product

Application Domain
type: Concept
definition: Elements specific to the application domain: components, interfaces, and data objects. In ArchiMate 4.0, behavior elements previously in the Application layer have been merged into the Common Domain.
broader: Element by Domain
in scheme: ArchiMate 4.0 Concept Scheme
narrower: ApplicationComponent
narrower: ApplicationInterface
narrower: DataObject

Technology Domain
type: Concept
definition: Elements specific to the technology and physical domain: nodes, devices, system software, networks, equipment, facilities, artifacts, and materials. In ArchiMate 4.0, the Technology and Physical layers from 3.x are merged into a single Technology Domain.
broader: Element by Domain
in scheme: ArchiMate 4.0 Concept Scheme
narrower: Node
narrower: Device
narrower: SystemSoftware
narrower: TechnologyInterface
narrower: CommunicationNetwork
narrower: DistributionNetwork
narrower: Equipment
narrower: Facility
narrower: Artifact
narrower: Material

Strategy Domain
type: Concept
definition: Elements representing strategic concepts: resources, capabilities, value streams, and courses of action.
broader: Element by Domain
in scheme: ArchiMate 4.0 Concept Scheme
narrower: Resource
narrower: Capability
narrower: ValueStream
narrower: CourseOfAction

Motivation Domain
type: Concept
definition: Elements representing the context and reasons behind the architecture: stakeholders, drivers, goals, requirements, principles, and values.
broader: Element by Domain
in scheme: ArchiMate 4.0 Concept Scheme
narrower: Stakeholder
narrower: Driver
narrower: Assessment
narrower: Goal
narrower: Outcome
narrower: Principle
narrower: Requirement
narrower: Meaning
narrower: Value

Implementation and Migration Domain
type: Concept
definition: Elements supporting planning and execution of architecture changes: work packages, deliverables, and plateaus.
broader: Element by Domain
in scheme: ArchiMate 4.0 Concept Scheme
narrower: WorkPackage
narrower: Deliverable
narrower: Plateau

Element by Aspect
type: Concept
definition: Classification of ArchiMate 4.0 elements by their structural aspect — the vertical dimension in the ArchiMate framework (active structure, behavior, passive structure, motivation, composite).
top concept of: ArchiMate 4.0 Concept Scheme
in scheme: ArchiMate 4.0 Concept Scheme

Active Structure
type: Concept
definition: Elements that can perform behavior — the subjects of activity. Includes actors, components, nodes, roles, collaborations, and their interfaces.
broader: Element by Aspect
in scheme: ArchiMate 4.0 Concept Scheme
narrower: Role
narrower: Collaboration
narrower: Path
narrower: BusinessActor
narrower: BusinessInterface
narrower: ApplicationComponent
narrower: ApplicationInterface
narrower: Node
narrower: Device
narrower: SystemSoftware
narrower: TechnologyInterface
narrower: CommunicationNetwork
narrower: DistributionNetwork
narrower: Equipment
narrower: Facility

Behavior
type: Concept
definition: Elements representing dynamic behavior — processes, functions, events, services, capabilities, value streams, courses of action, and work packages.
broader: Element by Aspect
in scheme: ArchiMate 4.0 Concept Scheme
narrower: Service
narrower: Process
narrower: Function
narrower: Event
narrower: Capability
narrower: ValueStream
narrower: CourseOfAction
narrower: WorkPackage

Passive Structure
type: Concept
definition: Elements on which behavior is performed — objects, artifacts, materials, deliverables, and resources.
broader: Element by Aspect
in scheme: ArchiMate 4.0 Concept Scheme
narrower: BusinessObject
narrower: DataObject
narrower: Artifact
narrower: Material
narrower: Deliverable
narrower: Resource

Composite
type: Concept
definition: Composite elements that may combine multiple aspects or domains — products, groupings, locations, and plateaus.
broader: Element by Aspect
in scheme: ArchiMate 4.0 Concept Scheme
narrower: Product
narrower: Grouping
narrower: Location
narrower: Plateau

Motivation
type: Concept
definition: Motivation elements — the context and reasons behind the architecture: stakeholders, drivers, goals, requirements, principles, and values.
broader: Element by Aspect
in scheme: ArchiMate 4.0 Concept Scheme
narrower: Stakeholder
narrower: Driver
narrower: Assessment
narrower: Goal
narrower: Outcome
narrower: Principle
narrower: Requirement
narrower: Meaning
narrower: Value