On the southeast corner of the new Oishei Children’s Hospital, a small two-storey light-filled space provides a green respite for families, patients, and staff.  Its design was based upon the principles of Biophilia, featuring a custom-designed grouping of steel tube “trees” and sculptural built-in seating meant to recall the rocks at the base of Niagara Falls.  

The garden is used by OCH programs such as Stone's Buddies to teach patients and their families about gardening.  Three fixed oval planters hold permanent plantings which are maintained by staff and volunteers, and mobile planter boxes are used by the kids.  The audio system provides sounds of nature that filter down into the space from high-placed speakers.  

The Winter Garden has become a popular space of quiet in a busy urban hospital, with wonderful views over the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and south to the City’s historic downtown.  This unique project grew out of a collaboration between DesignSynergies and Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect.  Fittingly, it was awarded the inaugural “Out of the Box” Award at the 2018 IIDA Buffalo Design Awards