Should some requirements be called out as “architectural” requirements?

Some methodologies of software architecture, including EWITA, attempt to describe architectural processes in a manner that is quite separate from the development of software.  Is that valid?

To whit, the first step in the EWITA process is described as “architectural requirements.” Yet, there doesn’t seem to be any definition, on that site, about what criteria we’d use to decide if a requirement is architectural or not.  So if my job is to collect architectural requirements (hmmm…), then I have to ask, “what is an architectural requirement, and how is it different from some other kind of requirement?”

Consider this analogy

A few years ago, when I was considering making an addition to my home, we called an independent architect to come over and discuss details.  We talked about the functionality of the rooms, and where they would be attached to the house, and what changes we’d need to make to the rest of the house.  All of these requirements were shared with the architect, and he was planning to consider them all when creating a solution.

So are requirements architectural if the client tells them to the architect?  I don’t think that is a useful definition.

Are some requirements more inherently architectural than others?  Good question. 

Some requirements came in the form of building codes.  Were those architectural?  Surely, they affect the architecture of the building, but so do requirements about function, size, and even the ease by which we would decorate a room.

In software, the same problem occurs.  Business customers describe their use cases.  Sometimes we talk about using data from other systems. Other times, we talk about speed and performance.  Mostly we talk about functionality.  What the application will do, and how it will make their lives better. 

I don’t differentiate requirements as “architectural” vs. something else.  It is not a distinction that I find useful.  My question, fair reader, is to you: do you have a practice of attributing your software requirements with a note that says “this one is architectural?”  If so, what logic do you use to flip that attribute to “true?” 

I’m just not seeing it.