diff --git a/lib/motion-layout/layout.rb b/lib/motion-layout/layout.rb
index cf27dec..dfa1c8d 100644
--- a/lib/motion-layout/layout.rb
+++ b/lib/motion-layout/layout.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 module Motion
   class Layout
-    def initialize(&block)
+    def initialize(delegate = nil, &block)
+      @delegate = delegate
       @verticals   = []
       @horizontals = []
       @metrics     = {}
@@ -13,20 +14,36 @@ def metrics(metrics)
       @metrics = metrics
     end
 
-    def subviews(subviews)
-      @subviews = subviews
+    def subviews(*subviews)
+      if subviews[0].is_a? Hash
+        @subviews = subviews.subviews[0]
+      elsif (subviews[0].is_a?(String) || subviews[0].is_a?(Symbol)) and @delegate
+        @subviews = {}
+        subviews.each do |v|
+          if @delegate.respond_to?(v)
+            @subviews[v.to_s] = self.send(v)
+          elsif @delegate.instance_variable_defined? "@#{v}"
+            @subviews[v.to_s] = @delegate.instance_variable_get "@#{v}"
+          else
+            raise "Couldn't find method or instance variable '#{v}' on the delegate"
+          end
+        end
+      else
+        raise "subviews only accepts a hash or an array (if delegate is defined)"
+      end
+
     end
 
     def view(view)
       @view = view
     end
 
-    def horizontal(horizontal)
-      @horizontals << horizontal
+    def horizontal(horizontal, options = NSLayoutFormatDirectionLeadingToTrailing)
+      @horizontals << [horizontal, options]
     end
 
-    def vertical(vertical)
-      @verticals << vertical
+    def vertical(vertical, options = NSLayoutFormatDirectionLeadingToTrailing)
+      @verticals << [vertical, options]
     end
 
     private
@@ -38,11 +55,11 @@ def strain
       end
 
       constraints = []
-      constraints += @verticals.map do |vertical|
-        NSLayoutConstraint.constraintsWithVisualFormat("V:#{vertical}", options:NSLayoutFormatAlignAllCenterX, metrics:@metrics, views:@subviews)
+      constraints += @verticals.map do |vertical, options|
+        NSLayoutConstraint.constraintsWithVisualFormat("V:#{vertical}", options:options, metrics:@metrics, views:@subviews)
       end
-      constraints += @horizontals.map do |horizontal|
-        NSLayoutConstraint.constraintsWithVisualFormat("H:#{horizontal}", options:NSLayoutFormatAlignAllCenterY, metrics:@metrics, views:@subviews)
+      constraints += @horizontals.map do |horizontal, options|
+        NSLayoutConstraint.constraintsWithVisualFormat("H:#{horizontal}", options:options, metrics:@metrics, views:@subviews)
       end
 
       @view.addConstraints(constraints.flatten)