<![CDATA[Investment decisions for building projects remain dominated by initial construction cost, while operational, maintenance, and replacement costs accumulating over decades receive limited attention. This study analyses the life cycle cost (LCC) structure of a 27,288 m² high-rise office building over a 25-year service period and examines conceptually how digital twin technology could address the limitations of conventional LCC practice. Cost data were obtained from the building management unit and projected using annual escalation rates of 12% for operational and 10% for maintenance cost under a constant-currency approach. Initial cost accounts for only 21.8% of total LCC, operational cost 46.9%, and maintenance and replacement cost 31.3%, so post-occupancy expenditure represents 78.2% of total ownership cost. Energy (24.6%) and security (24.3%) dominate operational cost, while air conditioning (25.6%) and generator sets (20.4%) dominate maintenance and replacement cost. A conceptual framework is proposed in which digital twin capabilities transform LCC from a static design-stage estimate into a continuously updated decision instrument. The framework was neither implemented nor empirically validated. Because the analysis rests on a single case and projected costs, the proportions are context-specific, although sensitivity analysis confirms the dominance of post-occupancy cost is robust.]]>
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