In practice, open source databases use more traditional, simpler architectures for which there is a lot of literature. Ironically, you see a lot more creativity and experimentation in closed source database architectures, and this has accrued some substantial benefits to those implementations.
The architecture at the link looks unusual compared to open source databases but it is actually a common architecture pattern in closed source databases with significant benefits, particularly when it comes to performance. There is a lot of what I would call "guild knowledge" in advanced database engine design, much like with HPC, things the small number of experts all seem to know but no one ever writes down.
It is a path dependency problem. Most open source databases were someone's first serious attempt at designing a database, a project that turned into a product. This is an excellent way to learn but it would be unrealistic to expect a thoroughly expert design for a piece of software of such complexity on the first (or second, or third) go at it. The atypical quality of PostgreSQL is a testament to the importance of having an experienced designer involved in the architecture.
