Architect Le Corbusier famously wrote, “A house is a machine for living in.”
His idea was to prioritize utility and family life through functional, efficient design. A home should support daily living: storing food, preparing meals, washing up, and resting. But it should also provide a comforting place to relax, create, and connect with loved ones.
If a house is a machine for living, then what might a city be a machine for?
The infrastructure around us serves essential, often-overlooked functions. Each project we undertake serves a unique purpose, functionally and civically. City infrastructure includes the roads we travel and the bridges we cross. It provides the clean water we drink and shapes the main streets and sports complexes where we gather and find community.
At Snyder & Associates, we recognize our role in connecting communities and enhancing the quality of life through safe, efficient, and thoughtfully designed infrastructure.
Cities are machines for travel.Â
Infrastructure serves as the framework for a city, so when the population grows, the infrastructure must follow suit.
Since the Hickman Interchange at Interstate 35/80 was reconfigured in 1983, the populations of Clive, Urbandale, and Waukee have increased by approximately 520%. The interchange handled most of that growth with modest capacity improvements; however, the community eventually experienced increases in traffic congestion and traffic-related incidents as it outgrew its transportation infrastructure.
In response to these challenges, the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) partnered with Snyder & Associates to evaluate conditions and develop practical solutions. The Result became the reconstruction of the I-35/80 & US6 (Hickman Road) Interchange. The Hickman Interchange is being transformed from a standard diamond into a diverging diamond interchange, designed to improve traffic flow and enhance overall safety.
Project enhancements include new trail sections connected by two pedestrian bridges, creating safe separation between the roadway and pedestrians and bicyclists. Additional enhancements include stormwater management, geotechnical considerations for bridges and walls, and upgraded corridor signing and intelligent transportation system (ITS) infrastructure.
These improvements will deliver safer, more efficient transportation for the communities across the Des Moines metro.
Cities are machines for water.
For some, accessing clean water starts and stops at the faucet. But behind the scenes, a complex system of water treatment, storing, and pressurizing ensures water is safely distributed throughout our communities.
Council Bluffs Water Works (CBWW) raised a new 1.0-million-gallon elevated storage tank, increasing capacity fivefold over the existing 200,000-gallon tower built in 1947. Snyder & Associates partnered with CBWW to plan, design, and deliver the new Memorial Tower, guiding the project from early concept through construction administration.
Careful planning and close coordination allowed the existing water tower to remain operational during construction, preventing service disruptions to the community. Our team evaluated tower sizing, hydraulic performance, and siting options to support both current demand and future distribution system growth.
The Memorial Tower Replacement modernizes elevated storage capacity and supports a resilient water distribution system for the community’s future.
Cities are machines for gathering.
Main Street Parkade in Cedar Falls
Local businesses, farmers markets, and community events all rely on the infrastructure surrounding them.
As downtown Cedar Falls experienced growth through new multi-family and mixed-use development, the City hired Snyder & Associates to revitalize the Main Street Parkade streetscape and strengthen the district’s character. In collaboration with Community Main Street and the City of Cedar Falls, we selected materials and amenities that reflected the area’s historic character, reduced long-term maintenance, and integrated new development into the existing district.
The project included utility upgrades across 11 downtown blocks, full street reconstruction along five blocks, and more than two acres of hardscape pavers and redesigned streetscape. The result is a more vibrant downtown, featuring modern infrastructure and contemporary elements that complement its historic setting.
Throughout construction, the team maintained ADA-compliant access to businesses, improved drainage while designing durable walkways, monitored vibrations near historic buildings, and removed abandoned coal chutes without compromising adjacent structures. Each challenge was successfully addressed through careful planning and thoughtful design.
Cities are machines for exercise.
Harlan Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge
Sports complexes help strengthen communities and promote healthy, active lifestyles.
Snyder & Associates has completed several field improvement projects for the City of Fort Dodge at the Rogers Sports Complex. This regional outdoor facility features more than a dozen fields and is home to Iowa’s State High School Softball Tournament.
Through a partnership with Iowa Central Community College, an existing baseball field was upgraded to support regional high school baseball while also serving as the home field for the college’s baseball program. Major enhancements included the design and construction of collegiate-level dugouts, a netted backstop system, new speakers and public announcement system, elevated bleachers, and a new press box.
Field improvements also included new Astroturf synthetic infield and outfield, batting cages, bullpens, a padded outfield wall system, and a large outfield advertising wall with an integrated batter’s eye.
Cities are machines for restoration.
Wastewater services are essential to public health and environmental protection. Even then, they aren’t often acknowledged by the community, unless there’s a problem.
On November 1, 2019, the rural Starmont Community School District was notified that a neighboring industry, which had accepted the school’s sanitary waste for decades, would be shutting down. The district was given until June 30, 2020, to secure an alternative wastewater solution. Located more than five miles from the nearest municipality, the district had no practical option other than developing its own wastewater treatment system.
Snyder & Associates provided preliminary engineering services to evaluate long-term solutions, identify the most effective path forward, and help the district respond within an accelerated timeline.
Our team also worked closely with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to efficiently navigate review and permitting, then continued providing engineering support through construction.
Despite a challenging situation with limited alternatives, the project was delivered on schedule, resulting in a reliable, long-term wastewater solution for the school.
Cities are machines for legacy.
Cedar Rapids 3rd Street Bridge Repair
Infrastructure that stands for a century or more often becomes a landmark or a symbol of the community’s history.
The 3rd Avenue Bridge has been a vital part of Cedar Rapids for more than a century, and this current rehabilitation project will help preserve that role for years to come.
Originally built in 1912 and upgraded in the early 1960s, the bridge is now undergoing another major rehabilitation. Crews are repairing and replacing elements of the bridge’s substructure, work expected to extend the bridge’s service life by 20 to 30 years. The project also includes improvements to railings, steps, and pedestrian walkways. To maintain continuous access to the 3rd Avenue courthouse during construction, deck and structure repairs are being completed on one half of the bridge at a time.
Overall, the rehabilitation preserves a historic structure, maintains critical access, and protects the City’s long-term investment. With continued maintenance, the bridge has the potential to serve the community for another century.
Cities are not defined by a single function, but by the many roles they quietly perform each day. Their infrastructure moves us, sustains us, brings us together, and preserves what matters. At Snyder & Associates, we view each project as part of this larger system. Whether improving mobility, strengthening essential services, creating spaces for connection, or preserving historic assets, our work contributes to something greater for the communities we serve.
If a house is a machine for living, then a city is the machine that supports community life.
It is designed not only to function, but to adapt, endure, and serve generations to come.
