McKnight Hall is located in an existing space on the campus of Chautauqua Institution which is, in essence, a barn-like structure. There was no permanent seating in the space. The barrel vaulted wood ceiling was creating a highly reverberant sound-field that also caused problems due to focusing affects. The design intent was to provide a space for both performances and rehearsals and allow performances to be heard outdoors, as the glass window walls could be opened during the summer. This approach required that energy be directed down and out the sides of the building to people seated on the lawn. AVL Designs Inc. used shape-optimized ceiling clouds to diffuse and distribute sound throughout the space. When used in this mode, music from large ensembles is well projected outside to the lawn while performers are easily able to hear each other within the room due to the diffuse nature of the design. Retractable audience seating was added for performances as well. The space is now considered to be a favorite on campus for rehearsal as well as performance of various types.