Acequia

ThePaperCrane Rich Poole343/343

Acequia (“ah-seh-kee-uh”) - a Spanish adaptation of the Arabic word as-sāqiya, meaning “water carrier”.

In our second collaboration, Rich and Rick are back with our blend of generative code, intricate design, attention to detail, and a splash of charm.


Acequias are traditional irrigation canals used to distribute rainwater and snowmelt along a complex network of narrow channels. They are found in Spain, the American Southwest, and northern Mexico, where they are essential for sustaining fields, orchards, and gardens in semi-arid regions. 


Our aim in this series is to capture the essence of these waterways in bold geometric designs. Each piece is inspired by a mountain village or town in Andalusia (southern Spain).

The location determines the cube designs and construction rules that are used to build the final output. These are combined with striking day/night palettes, outline styles, scales, climates, and a few surprises of course!


Controls (in live view):

- Press [p] to pause water animation
- Press [e] to complete water animation
- Press [r] to reset water animation
- Press [s] to save the current image
- Press [h] for a high-res output suitable for printing
- Press [b] to toggle the border