“Our primary design move was to clean up the facade by presenting a single plane to the street, like the neighboring brownstone,” says Andrisani. While copper was a logical aesthetic choice, as it effectively mimics the warm coloring of the adjacent masonry building, it also proved to be the best selection in terms of material performance: It is durable, compatible with other building components, and produces minimal run-off.

The screen is composed of 1/8-inch-thick panels of metal, pierced to create an interplay of shadow and light. The facade mixes fixed and operable panels. Located in front of the windows, bi-fold shutters that pivot and slide along trolley rails allow residents to control the view, as well as the amount of light and air entering an apartment. Andrisani says, “The facade is almost alive—it’s always dynamic and changing.” It’s with this quality in mind that the building was given its name: Aperture 538.