If the org is structured to where the architect role isn't directly involved with the configuration you should still get read only access or have the ability to see how these systems are setup or functioning somehow. You should not have to bother dozens of people on and off over several months to get the details on how these systems are set up and you should be able to verify these things on your own as needed. If it were me, I would present a list to my supervisor of all the the things I'd like to check and the potential recommendations/improvements I'm going to make. That way he/she will see that I need a lot more information on these systems and that having to constantly go to the busy admins for all the information would be a very slow inefficient process. How can you make or verify documentation that is accurate without the details? I wouldn't push it too hard, but get all your data together to make your case then present it....but still be ready for an answer you may not like.

...is easy. Put a protected zip document on your desktop named "tehsecretz" and fill it with one thousand GOATSE images of all different sizes. That way they're sure to have to look at each and every one of them. They won't want your passwords anymore. Atleast, one would hope....

How the heck do these foreigners know so much about us?! It all makes perfect sense. We only support OSS because we save money. Then, we use that saved money to buy mountains of cheeseburgers. After we're done eating (which we never are, right?) we lay around and avoid things like education and the cleaning up the environment. We only use our energy to do cruel things to animals and activities that only benefit ourselves. Plus what ever other stereotypes we have going against us...