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USA will be adjacent to the University of Buffalo School of Medicine and will offer hands-on experience for medical students . An emergency room will be equipped with four trauma rooms . A neonatal intensive care unit will provide aroundthe-clock support for the sickest children , and dedicated labor and delivery rooms will be designed to offer the best care possible .
With overarching design elements intended to be “ kid-friendly ,” the hospital will encompass light and open spaces , greenery inside and outside the building , color-themed floors , and a “ beacon of light ” from the ground to the roof on one corner of the hospital that will be visible from miles away .
“ We are the only children ’ s hospital in Western New York ,” explained Mariacher . “ We ’ re looking for [ the hospital ] to be a building that , through its design elements , offers comfort to you as you walk in with a sick child .”
Overcoming challenges With a construction project of this magnitude , worth $ 270 million , there are bound to be some roadblocks along the way , but Mariacher is well prepared to handle these and see the project to the end through efficient coordination .
“ Design takes several years , and construction takes several years , and it ’ s not uncommon during the construction process for new trends , innovations and equipment for operations to dictate the need for a change ,” said Mariacher . “ Change while you ’ re in the middle of building is always a challenge , but it is something we are able to handle successfully .”
One of the challenges Mariacher and her team have faced is the harsh winter climate New York offers . The winter of 2014 saw freezing temperatures well below 0 degrees , and this year ’ s winter is expected to be the same . In order to offset this , a temporary wrap is placed around the building that can retain heat throughout the interior , allowing construction to continue .
“ We heat it to at least 40 degrees , which allows us to continue to work through the winter ,” said Mariacher . “ So , while we spend a little money on heat and the wrap , we gain everything back by being able to
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