In 2007, the New York-based photographer Chris Mottalini was asked by the Paul Rudolph Foundation to document one of Rudolph's houses in Westport, Conn. Soon afterward, the house, which was in poor condition, was demolished, a fate that has befallen a number of Rudolph's projects in recent years. But Mottalini was hooked, and has since shot around 30 buildings along the East Coast by the architect, whose uncompromising forms and rugged materials earned him a place in the international 20th century design canon, but not popular acceptance. Mottalini's photos of the Westport house, and two others that were torn down the same year (one in Watch Hill, R.I., and the other in Siesta Key, Fla.), are the subject of "After You Left / They Took It Apart (Demolished Paul Rudolph Homes)." The book ($50, Columbia College Chicago Press) offers an unsparing look at these once-elegant dwellings, capturing peeling paint and broken windows (including one that was smashed while the photographer was on a lunch break). Mottalini's images are the antithesis of traditional architectural photographs, which make buildings look as glamorous as possible. "I didn't want to romanticize anything," he explained. The book also speaks to the problems facing advocates of preserving Modernist houses, which cost just as much to restore as older structures, but which appeal to a much smaller segment of the real estate market, making them easy prey for buyers who want to replace them with something considered more salable. Mottalini's photographs reveal both a deep affection for their subjects and a sense of resignation about their demise. "Everything has an expiration date," he said.