Is the architecture handled by a dedicated architect or a team lead?

Ideally, the project architecture is the responsibility of the architect, if such a role is designated within the team. The architect is responsible for the overall structure, technology choices, and key decisions. However, in small or flexible teams, these responsibilities are often shared between the team lead and experienced developers. The team lead can influence architectural decisions, especially if there is no architect, and ensures their implementation in practice. Thus, responsibility can be centralized (the architect) or distributed (team lead and senior developers), depending on the team and project structure.