Realtors are infamous for their industry axioms, such as "Location, location, location!" But another one, "Until you know value, everything is worthless," could be thetheme of a Landmark Society and American Institute of Architecture joint project called "Landmarks of the Recent Past."

When most people think of historic landmarks, they tend to get stuck on the "50 years and older" idea of antiquity, says Joanne Arany, the Landmark Society's executive director. But Landmarks of the Recent Past emphasizes architecture from 1930 to 1970 in anticipation of its eventual historic and aesthetic value.

"If we don't begin to identify buildings with architectural significance before they are threatened, they may not be around 50 years from now," says Arany. "These buildings are sometimes an acquired taste, particularly the more modern designs from the 1950's, 60's, and 70's."

The Landmark Society has created a Recent Past Architecture Survey website, and is asking the public to help determine Rochester's newer and noteworthy architecture. The First Unitarian Church on South Winton Road, Midtown Plaza, Xerox Tower, and the former Donuts Delight building on Empire Boulevard are good examples of architecture that may be worth preserving years from now, Arany says.

Many of downtown's shimmering modern structures are built over the remains of Victorian-era buildings. Unthinkable as it seems, says Arany, people living in the 1800's frequently demolished Second Empire-style structures such as the Powers Building on Main Street.

"The style lost appeal and people couldn't imagine future values for these buildings," Arany says.

The Recent Past Architecture Survey can be found at www.aiaroch.org/archipedia/