Assessment of criteria for selection of timber as building material for building construction projects within Lagos Metropolis

Shelter is one of the basic needs of people in every society. Man strives to have decent homes and environment; this is applicable in both rural and urban communities by the use of good building materials. The earliest forms of houses were built by mud which can still be found in some areas in the country. Gradually, development and structural advancement began to take place in the world of building. As man moved from Stone Age to computer age; this was further enhanced by the growth and advent of new building materials and modern technology. As a result of changes in design, environmental decoration and taste of individuals, the old and crude methods of building productions were rendered obsolete. Hence, there is need for a holistic approach for integrating sustainability principles into material selection decision making at the design stage of building project (Akadiri, 2011).
Careful selection of environmentally sustainable building materials is the easiest way for architects and building designers to begin incorporating sustainable design principles in buildings. Traditionally, price has been the foremost consideration when comparing similar materials or materials designated for the same function. However, the “off-the-shelf” price of a building component represents only the manufacturing and transportation costs, not social or environmental costs (Jong-Jin Kim, 1998).