Architects was founded in 2004. Before Architects, all members of the band had their own musical projects. In 2006 the band's original bassist, Tim Lucas, decided to leave the band to pursue his academic career. He was replaced by Alex Dean. The band had travelled around the UK on many tours supporting a number of different bands in support of their debut album Nightmares. Because of the age of the band members in the early years they had to book weeks of holiday off at college in order to do tours round the country.

In January 2007, after a lengthy tour around the country as an opening act to SikTh and Dead Man In Reno, Architects original vocalist Matt Johnson left the band. Dan Searle said that after Johnson left the band they all saw Sam Carter performing with other local bands and decided it was an "easy choice". When Carter joined as the bands new lead vocalist he made his on-stage début by performing the song "The Darkest Tomb". After this amicable departure, Matt Johnson went on to form the band Whitemare with ex-members of Johnny Truant and Centurion, and also briefly Architects guitarist Tim Hillier-Brook on bass. They released their second album Ruin on 26 June 2007, and released a split EP with UK band Dead Swans in early 2008, following the release with a double headed tour of the UK.

In May 2008 Architects announced that they had been signed to Century Media Records for a three album deal. Dean stated that the signing was important for the band "to be part of such an established label and it’s absolutely sweet that our records are gonna [sic] be out worldwide." Dan Searle described Century Media's support matching "our ambition to push this band as far as we can." The announcement of their signing to Century Media was coupled with the re-release of their second album Ruin globally with the added bonus track Broken Clocks. In November 2008 the band embarked on the Never Say Die! Tour, a European tour with Parkway Drive as the headline act and also support from Unearth, Despised Icon, Protest the Hero, Whitechapel and Carnifex.

On 26 January 2009 Architects made their Century Record début with their third studio album Hollow Crown. It was released in the United Kingdom and Australia on 26 January 2009, 10 February in the United States and Canada, 20 February in Continental Europe and 21 February in Japan. The band recorded the album in July 2008 after the announcement of joining Century Media's rooster. Dan Searle in interview was asked why the band gave it the title and he stated "depending on who you ask in the band! To me it refers to those people you meet in life that earn nothing, but are given everything."For promotion of the album, in early 2009 the band supported Parkway Drive along with August Burns Red on the Parkway Drive: The DVD tour in Australia. In October and November 2009 they headlined the second Never Say Die! Tour United Kingdom dates, whereas Despised Icon headlined the Mainland European dates. The line also included Horse the Band, As Blood Runs Black, Iwrestledabearonce, Oceano and The Ghost Inside. In January 2009 Tom Searle had believed the album has done 17 tours across North America and Europe.

Architects announced that the first single from the upcoming fourth album, would be entitled Day In Day Out, and was premièred on Daniel P. Carter's BBC Radio 1 podcast The Rock Show on 30 August 2010. The band headlined tours of the UK in October 2010 with Norma Jean, Devil Sold His Soul and Lower Than Atlantis supporting and Australia in December with Comeback Kid as co-headliners and This is Hell and Rolo Tomassi supporting.

On 19 January 2011 Architects' fourth album The Here and Now was released. The Here and Now was recorded across 2010 from May till June at The Omen Room Studios in California. The album was seen as going in a more commercial direction from the rest of the bands work. The album sold 900 copies in the United States in its first week and debuted at number 47 on the US Top Heatseekers album charts and number 57 on the UK Album Charts. Dan Searle when describing the sound on the album in a interview believe it was a massive departure but also a logical progression for the band, saying: "I completely understand that we are “known” for being a technical band but it’s just not what we want to write anymore, I think if you look at the way we have evolved over the last few records you could see it coming. We started writing technical music when we were 16 and have spent the years since slowly moving away from it, it feels like different people wrote those songs.”

In February 2011, Architects announced the departure of bassist Alex Dean, due to family commitments. On 3 July 2011 it was announced that Dean had rejoined the band. When Dean commented on the short 5 month split from the band he said "I’m very happy to be able to say that I’m back, being able to stay at home for the past few months have given my family and I the opportunity to adjust to what happened last year and I know it’s done us all a lot of good."

In April 2011 Bring Me the Horizon as part of their ongoing support for their third album on their international There Is a Hell... Tour Architects was a main support alongside Parkway Drive and supported them in two continents. It started with an European tour, starting in the United Kingdom with The Devil Wears Prada as the opening support for the UK and dubstep group Tek-one opening for the remainder of continental Europe. On 28 April Matt Nicholls broke his arm whilst playing football with members of Bring Me the Horizon, Parkway Drive and Architects, and instead of cancelling the tour Architects' drummer Dan Searle filled in as the drummer, this meant that Bring Me the Horizon's setlist was halved in length. This European Tour Lasted till late August. Then Architects, Parkway Drive and Deez Nuts supported Bring Me the Horizon In North America across September and October.

On 4 December Architects released a new single entitled Devil's Island. The song was for a at the time unnamed follow up album to The Here and Now. The single was announced in early November, a month before its actual release. As an Itunes bonus b-side song "Untitled" was added into the single download. In additon to its announcement it was streamed on the band's Facebook page. Both the song and the music video that accompanied the release talk about and deal with the 2011 England riots, with the music video featuring clips of the riots.The single itself was well received by critics for its return to the mathcore style of their third album, Hollow Crown.J.J. Nattrass of Bring the noise UK said that "the Track is sweeping and melodic in parts, whilst bursting with high tempo and visceral raw energy in others."In December 2011 the band embarked on a five day UK headline tour with supporting acts Heights, Tek-One and Deaf Havana as part of supporting the single.

Architects' fifth studio album Daybreaker was released on 28 May in Europe and 5 June in the USA. After the album was recorded fully in 16 April 2012 it was announced that Tim Hillier-Brook would be leaving the band to pursue other projects. Josh Middleton, the frontman of British metal band Sylosis became a touring guitarist until the band decided on a new fifth member. After spending the first few months of 2012 recording Daybreaker, Architects completed their first tour of 2012 in April with Rolo Tomassi and Stray from the Path on a 14 date tour. Stray from the Path vocalist Drew York made a guest vocal appearance on the new album on the track "Outsider Heart".