In 2017 the annual AIA Society Competition was about designing a proposal for a redevelopment of the harbor area in Alexandria, on the Potomac, right across from Washington DC. Apart from the inherent design related challenges, the architecture students would have to produce everything from concept to finalized visualizations within 60 hours.

The King Street Gateway aims at creating a populated and welcoming entry point to the town of Alexandria. In order to achieve make this space populated, the program focuses at smaller scale details within a simple and yet iconic form. The design allows for plenty of areas to sit and occupy, especially for families. The overarching goal is to produce a place that can be enjoyed with little to no means, and thereby be accessible to all.

At the center of the public space is a landing dock for the ferry. The aspiration is to create a spectacular event out of the framing of the arrival of the everyday ferry. At the peripherals of the public plaza is spaces for water based sports and activities such as sailing and canoing.