FOUND SPACE: A THERAPUTIC JOURNEY TO URBAN RESURRECTION is a book that addresses the issue of urban deterioration and seeking methods to halt the dissolution of our urban fabric in a creative way. There is more than meets the eye in renovating an old building or resurrecting a city. It is often difficult to determine which is worth preserving and which is not. Found Space not only presents arguments in favor of the restoration of abandoned factories or structures, but also argues the necessity of rescuing a city image or resurrecting injured city areas. Rebuilding lower Manhattan is a significant task, because the lingering image of the burned towers is still powerfully imprinted on the psyche of most New Yorkers. New Yorkers are seeking answers for resurrecting New York City after the September 11th tragedy. One must ask, what needs to be done for the new rebuilding of WTC to be successful? What is needed for New Yorkers to feel safe again in the new WTC buildings? There are probably many lessons that can be derived from other cities in history which have coped with similar disasters, but an uncomplicated answer might be closer than ever we imagine. The answer may be found where we live and breathe.

Many architects and designers have been motivated to redesign industrial sites and to restore the dead industrial parts as found objects. Found space favors the recycling of abandoned structures or, alternatively, finding spaces within a given space and developing an architectural vocabulary, and a new perspective oriented toward using old spaces and derelict structures. Perhaps armed with this exclusive perspective, we can truly find something new. Other objectives of this study are: to research relevant historic antecedents; to study the psychological implications of found space; to study factors needed to resurrect a wounded neighborhood and possibly to draw from our past and present so that a new future can be found. The study of found space is truly a therapeutic journey for all of us living in an urban city.

Anything in our manmade world is capable of being transformed. With curious eyes, we can always find things. The boundaries are limitless. Much of the work here spans a 16 year period from the late 80s to the present day, and is carefully documented in more than 140 photographs that the author took.

The paradigm of found space can serve as synthesis for achieving strong cultural and religious buoyancy in architecture: Achieving a transformation of urban architecture: Resolving conflicts in economic, social, and architectural professions. Perspective readers of this book will find that it responds well to the many challenges of urban resurrection, factors required for the rebuilding the lower Manhattan after September 11th, and creative approaches to restoration of old mills or railroad yards. The author believes this publication will stimulate more interest in and raise the consciousness of the reader regarding the many opportunities our obsolete structures present for continuing to support the physiological, physical, economic, and social well-being of our built environments.