At a Glance

  • KEES supplied the University of Notre Dame with decorative grilles for two new undergraduate residence halls.

  • The original order of 32 grilles, made of exotic materials and featuring custom width borders, was supplemented by a rush order in the desired turnaround time.

  • The residence halls are expected to open on-time for the 2026-27 school year.

Introduction

When the University of Notre Dame began construction on two new undergraduate residence halls, they brought in KEES, a custom HVAC manufacturer, to supply decorative grilles that aligned with the campus’s existing aesthetics.

The University of Notre Dame, located in Notre Dame, IN, is a private university serving over 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The university is dedicated to the pursuit of truth, guided by its Catholic traditions. To preserve those traditions, Notre Dame partnered with KEES, who had furnished many projects for the university in the company’s 50-year tenure.

Project Requirements

For the construction of two new undergraduate residence halls on the university’s South Quad, Notre Dame partnered with KEES to manufacture decorative grilles that were aesthetically aligned with the university’s “gothic campus architecture.”1

KEES supplied Notre Dame with 32 decorative grilles in our Grecian pattern, manufactured out of architectural bronze with an oxidized finish—making the new look old and distinguished. KEES also furnished bronze mounting screws to blend in with the finish of the grilles. To meet the request that the top and bottom borders of the grilles were as even as possible with the borders on the size, KEES produced grills with custom width borders, offsetting the pattern center and adding an additional pattern row.

When Notre Dame needed four more grilles, KEES produced a rush order that matched the original design specifications and met the desired turnaround time.

The construction of the two new dorms has been “on time, on budget” according to Dan Cook, vice president for facilities design and operations and university architect.2 The dorms are projected to open in time for the upcoming 2026-27 school year.

Why KEES

When designing new construction that seamlessly fits into existing architecture and aesthetics, every detail matters. KEES helps architects and designers bring these details to life with our wide selection of decorative grille patterns, materials, and finishes.

For this project, KEES altered our existing Grecian pattern to align with the architects’ symmetrical border design while meeting grille size requirements. Drawing on our experience of working with exotic materials, we produced oxidized architectural bronze grilles that perfectly captured Notre Dame’s gothic aesthetic.

At KEES, we help our clients add that distinctive personal touch to interior spaces with decorative grilles that balance aesthetics with performance. With over 120 decorative grille patterns, as well as our capacity for custom patterns, we can bring any artistic vision to life.

Sources:

1. South Quad Residence Halls Replacement - University of Notre Dame

2. Grojean and Coyle Halls approach completion for 2026-27 school year - The Observer