Integrate material selection with the overall façade design and aim for low maintenance, robust materials that will weather well.
Materials are an important element to consider in responding to character and reinforcing or establishing sense of place. Use a materials board, including colours, to illustrate materials choice and how they work together.
It is important to understand any locally relevant or important character, and the design will either directly reference or contrast with this. The right response will depend on the context and design, however mimicking, or a pastiche, of character is never a good design response.