For years, apartment buildings offered about as much aesthetic beauty as, well, a slab of concrete. Complexes were bare, boxy, boring structures designed for functionality first and style second. Today things are changing. Cities are citing the need for multifamily buildings that complement their surroundings, while renters are looking for apartments that are as regionally distinctive and stylish as the condominiums, townhomes, and single-family homes that many can now afford.