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Dennis Kowal Architects are awarded first-ever Tesla Innovation Award.   “This building was ahead of its time” said competition judge Howard Lewis  noting “…the completed office and educational spaces proactively addressed the problems with indoor environments that everyone is now trying to correct.”

The Rutgers Lifelong Learning Center was completed last year and employs  multiple strategies to purify the air, separate employees, increase productivity and offer stress relieving opportunities.  For example, the extra-wide stair towers are glass enclosed providing plenty of ultraviolet sunlight purification and have fire-rated glass interior walls to entice occupant’s usage over the elevator.

A customized 12’ indoor waterfall purges the air of viruses.  The water  is negative ionized to attract pollutants including all viruses and insidious particles less than 2.5 microns. Employing a three stage filtration system, unwanted pollutants are stripped out and viruses are killed.   Another interior water wall features endlessly rising air bubbles which are a proven stress-relieving strategy.

Dennis Kowal is a featured international speaker on building health and productivity.  In 2015, he cautioned the Chinese at the IFMA World Workplace Conference in Shanghai that designers are placing occupants too close together.  Prophetically, he showed negative examples from Wuhan, China.

Circadian Lighting, increased natural ventilation and maximum light and views are also featured in this 60,000 square foot, three story building.  Executive Director, Richard Novak, said “Frankly, in my 30 years at Rutgers, I have worked with a number of architects on various projects, large and small, but none can compare to Dennis Kowal in this full scope.”

The Tesla Innovation Award is administrated by the National Lighting Bureau and Dennis Kowal Architects are the only architectural firm to receive this award this year.