The Roles of Architects and Urban Designers in Facility Management

This study explores the distinct roles of architects in building-level Facility Management (FM) and urban designers in Urban-Scale Facility Management (Urban FM) to bridge the gap between design and facility operations. By clarifying these roles, the research aims to enhance interdisciplinary collaboration, ensuring that FM principles are integrated from the early design stages to improve long-term sustainability, efficiency, and resilience in both buildings and urban environments. A scoping literature review was conducted to examine existing research on FM, Urban FM, and the contributions of architects and urban designers. The study reviewed academic literature to identify best practices, challenges, and knowledge gaps. A comparative analysis was applied to distinguish the responsibilities of architects and urban designers. The study highlights the fragmentation between design and FM practices and identifies the need for greater collaboration between architects, urban designers, and FM professionals. While architects influence building-level performance, urban designers contribute to urban-scale infrastructure, connectivity, and public space usability. The research underscores technological integration (BIM, IoT, and smart city tools) as essential for optimizing FM across scales. This study relies on secondary data from existing literature. Future research should incorporate empirical case studies and industry stakeholder interviews to validate findings and propose implementation frameworks. This research offers a structured differentiation of architects’ and urban designers’ roles in FM, emphasizing their importance in sustainable facility operations. It provides a foundation for policy development, interdisciplinary education, and FM-integrated design strategies.