diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 501db3b..9dbfe9a 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,30 @@ pub mod life;
 pub const BLACK: Color =  Color::RGB(0, 0, 0);
 pub const WHITE: Color =  Color::RGB(255, 255, 255);
 
+pub struct Grid<T: Clone> {
+    size: usize,
+    flat_grid: Vec<T>,
+}
+
+impl<T> Grid<T>
+    where T: Clone
+{
+    pub fn new(default: T, size: usize) -> Grid<T> {
+        Grid::<T> {size: size, flat_grid: vec![default; size*size]}
+    }
+
+    pub fn get(&self, y: usize, x: usize) -> &T {
+        &self.flat_grid[ y*self.size + x ]
+    }
+
+    pub fn set(&mut self, y: usize, x: usize, val: T) {
+        self.flat_grid[ y*self.size + x ] = val;
+    }
+
+    pub fn size(&self) -> usize {
+        self.size
+    }
+}
 
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
@@ -19,7 +43,7 @@ pub struct Cell {
 }
 
 pub trait Engine {
-    fn evolve(&mut self) -> Vec<Vec<Cell>>;
+    fn evolve(&mut self) -> Grid<Cell>;
 }
 
 pub struct Renderer {
@@ -32,14 +56,14 @@ impl Renderer {
         Renderer { px_size: px_size, canvas: canvas }
     }
 
-    pub fn render(&mut self, grid: &Vec<Vec<Cell>>) {
+    pub fn render(&mut self, grid: Grid<Cell>) {
         self.canvas.set_draw_color(BLACK);
         self.canvas.clear();
 
-        for y in 0..grid.len() {
-            for x in 0..grid[y].len() {
+        for y in 0..grid.size() {
+            for x in 0..grid.size() {
                 //if grid[y][x].alive {
-                self.canvas.set_draw_color(grid[y][x].color);
+                self.canvas.set_draw_color(grid.get(y, x).color);
                 self.canvas.fill_rect(Rect::new(x as i32 * self.px_size, y as i32 * self.px_size, self.px_size as u32, self.px_size as u32));
                 //}
             }
diff --git a/src/life.rs b/src/life.rs
index a6efca6..5713134 100644
--- a/src/life.rs
+++ b/src/life.rs
@@ -1,70 +1,96 @@
 use std::cmp;
 
-use super::{Cell, Engine, WHITE, BLACK};
+use super::{Cell, Engine, Grid, WHITE, BLACK};
 
 pub struct LifeEngine {
-    grid: Vec<Vec<bool>>,
+    grid: Grid<bool>,
 }
 
 
 pub fn new(size: usize) -> LifeEngine {
-    let mut life = LifeEngine{grid: vec![vec![false; size]; size]};
+    let mut life = LifeEngine{grid: Grid::new(false, size)};
 
     // r pemento
     let centery = size/2;
     let centerx = size/2;
 
-    life.grid[centery][centerx] = true;
-    life.grid[centery+1][centerx] =  true;
-    life.grid[centery-1][centerx] = true;
+    life.grid.set(centery, centerx,true);
+    life.grid.set(centery+1, centerx,  true);
+    life.grid.set(centery-1, centerx, true);
 
-    life.grid[centery-1][centerx-1] =  true;
-    life.grid[centery][centerx+1] = true;
+    life.grid.set(centery-1, centerx-1,  true);
+    life.grid.set(centery, centerx+1, true);
 
     life
 }
 
+impl LifeEngine {
+    fn nalive(&self, y: usize, x: usize) -> u8 {
+        let mut nalive = 0;
+        if y > 0 {
+            if x > 0 {
+                if *self.grid.get(y-1, x-1) {
+                    nalive += 1;
+                }
+            }
+            if *self.grid.get(y-1, x) {
+                nalive += 1;
+            }
+            if x < self.grid.size()-1 {
+                if *self.grid.get(y-1, x+1) {
+                    nalive += 1;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        if x > 0 {
+            if *self.grid.get(y, x-1) {
+                nalive += 1;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if x < self.grid.size()-1 {
+            if *self.grid.get(y, x+1) {
+                nalive += 1;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if y < self.grid.size()-1 {
+            if x > 0 {
+                if *self.grid.get(y+1, x-1) {
+                    nalive += 1;
+                }
+            }
+            if *self.grid.get(y+1, x) {
+                nalive += 1;
+            }
+            if x < self.grid.size()-1 {
+                if *self.grid.get(y+1, x+1) {
+                    nalive += 1;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        nalive
+    }
+}
 
 impl Engine for LifeEngine {
-    fn evolve(&mut self) -> Vec<Vec<Cell>> {
-        let mut new_render_grid = vec![vec![Cell{color: BLACK}; self.grid.len()]; self.grid.len()];
-        let mut new_life_grid = vec![vec![false; self.grid.len()]; self.grid.len()];
+    fn evolve(&mut self) -> super::Grid<Cell> {
+        let mut new_render_grid = super::Grid::new(Cell{color: BLACK}, self.grid.size());
+        let mut new_life_grid = Grid::new(false, self.grid.size());
 
-        for y in 0..self.grid.len() {
-            for x in 0..self.grid[y].len() {
-                let mut nalive = 0;
+        for y in 0..self.grid.size() {
+            for x in 0..self.grid.size() {
+                let nalive = self.nalive(y, x);
 
-                let mut ylow = 0;
-                if y > 1 {
-                    ylow = y-1;
-                }
-                let yhigh = cmp::min(self.grid.len()-1, y+1);
-
-                let mut xlow = 0;
-                if x > 1 {
-                    xlow = x-1;
-                }
-                let xhigh =  cmp::min(self.grid.len()-1, x+1);
-
-                for i in ylow..yhigh+1 {
-                    for j in xlow..xhigh+1 {
-                        if i == y && j == x {
-                            continue;
-                        }
-                        if self.grid[i][j] {
-                            nalive += 1;
-                        }
-                    }
-                }
-
-                if self.grid[y][x] {
+                if *self.grid.get(y, x) {
                     if nalive == 2 || nalive == 3 {
-                        new_render_grid[y][x] = Cell{color: WHITE};
-                        new_life_grid[y][x] = true;
+                        new_render_grid.set(y, x, Cell{color: WHITE});
+                        new_life_grid.set(y, x,  true);
                     }
                 } else if nalive == 3 {
-                    new_render_grid[y][x] = Cell{color: WHITE};
-                    new_life_grid[y][x] = true;
+                    new_render_grid.set(y, x, Cell{color: WHITE});
+                    new_life_grid.set(y, x, true);
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index f321eb6..b88987d 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ use std::{thread, time};
 use std::time::{SystemTime};
 
 use microworlds::Engine;
+use microworlds::Grid;
 
 pub const SCREEN_SIZE: u32 = 800;
 pub const PX_SIZE: u32 = 2;
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ fn main() {
     let window = video_subsystem.window("Microworlds", SCREEN_SIZE, SCREEN_SIZE).build().unwrap();
     println!("Window: {}x{} at {} px per cell", SCREEN_SIZE, SCREEN_SIZE, PX_SIZE);
     let size: usize = (SCREEN_SIZE/PX_SIZE) as usize;
-    let mut grid = vec![vec![microworlds::Cell{color: microworlds::BLACK}; size]; size];
+    let mut grid = Grid::new(microworlds::Cell{color: microworlds::BLACK}, size);
 
     println!("cell grid: {}x{} ({} cells) - {} steps per sec", size, size, (size*size), STEPS_PER_SEC);
 
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ fn main() {
         }
 
         let start_rend = SystemTime::now();
-        renderer.render(&grid);
+        renderer.render(grid);
         let render_time = start_rend.elapsed().unwrap();
         let start_evo = SystemTime::now();
         grid = engine.evolve();