diff --git a/kiwi_scp/instance.py b/kiwi_scp/instance.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..41facbe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kiwi_scp/instance.py
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+import functools
+import re
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Iterable, List, Dict, Any
+
+import attr
+import yaml
+
+from ._constants import COMPOSE_FILE_NAME
+from .config import Config
+
+_RE_CONFDIR = re.compile(r"^\s*\$(?:CONFDIR|{CONFDIR})/+(.*)$", flags=re.UNICODE)
+
+
+@attr.s
+class Service:
+    name: str = attr.ib()
+    configs: List[Path] = attr.ib()
+
+    @classmethod
+    def from_description(cls, name: str, description: Dict[str, Any]):
+        configs: List[Path] = []
+
+        if "volumes" in description:
+            volumes: List[str] = description["volumes"]
+
+            for volume in volumes:
+                host_part = volume.split(":")[0]
+                confdir = _RE_CONFDIR.match(host_part)
+
+                if confdir:
+                    configs.append(Path(confdir.group(1)))
+
+        return cls(
+            name=name,
+            configs=configs,
+        )
+
+
+@attr.s
+class Project:
+    directory: Path = attr.ib()
+    services: List[Service] = attr.ib()
+
+    @classmethod
+    @functools.lru_cache(maxsize=10)
+    def from_directory(cls, directory: Path):
+        with open(directory.joinpath(COMPOSE_FILE_NAME), "r") as cf:
+            yml = yaml.safe_load(cf)
+
+        return cls(
+            directory=directory,
+            services=[
+                Service.from_description(name, description)
+                for name, description in yml["services"].items()
+            ],
+        )
+
+
+@attr.s
+class Instance:
+    directory: Path = attr.ib(default=Path('.'))
+
+    @property
+    def config(self) -> Config:
+        """shorthand: get the current configuration"""
+
+        return Config.from_instance(self.directory)
+
+    @property
+    def projects(self) -> Iterable[Project]:
+        return []
diff --git a/tests/test_project.py b/tests/test_project.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eccff01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_project.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from kiwi_scp.instance import Project
+
+
+def test_example():
+    p = Project.from_directory(Path("example/hello-world.project"))
+
+    assert p.directory == Path("example/hello-world.project")
+    assert len(p.services) == 5
+
+    s = p.services[0]
+    assert s.name == "greeter"
+    assert len(s.configs) == 0
+
+    s = p.services[1]
+    assert s.name == "web"
+    assert len(s.configs) == 0
+
+    s = p.services[2]
+    assert s.name == "db"
+    assert len(s.configs) == 0
+
+    s = p.services[3]
+    assert s.name == "adminer"
+    assert len(s.configs) == 0
+
+    s = p.services[4]
+    assert s.name == "another-web"
+    assert len(s.configs) == 1
+    assert s.configs[0] == Path("html/index.html")
+