diff --git a/ordr2/__init__.py b/ordr2/__init__.py
index ede0451..a9c7ca4 100644
--- a/ordr2/__init__.py
+++ b/ordr2/__init__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
-
 ''' Top-level package for Ordr2. '''
 
 __author__ = 'Holger Frey'
@@ -13,8 +11,11 @@ from pyramid.config import Configurator
 def main(global_config, **settings):
     ''' This function returns a Pyramid WSGI application. '''
     config = Configurator(settings=settings)
+
     config.include('pyramid_jinja2')
     config.include('.models')
     config.include('.resources')
+
     config.scan()
+
     return config.make_wsgi_app()
diff --git a/ordr2/resources/__init__.py b/ordr2/resources/__init__.py
index 938d86a..509b94c 100644
--- a/ordr2/resources/__init__.py
+++ b/ordr2/resources/__init__.py
@@ -1,10 +1,63 @@
-class Root(object):
+''' Resources (sub) package, used to connect URLs to views '''
+
+
+class BaseResource(object):
+    '''
+    Base resouce class for location aware resources
+
+    establishes a simple dict like interface for returning child resources
+    '''
+
+    # __name__ and __parent__ properties for location awareness
     __name__ = None
     __parent__ = None
 
+    # dict to match the next url path segment
+    # for example: to return an AccountResouce when the next path segment is
+    # 'account' use nodes = {'account': AccountResource}
+    nodes = {}
+
+    def __init__(self, name, parent):
+        ''' Create a base resource
+
+        :param str name:
+            url path segment that identifies this resource in its lineage
+        :param parent:
+            parent resource in the lineage
+        :type parent:
+            ordr2.resources.BaseResource
+        '''
+        self.__name__ = name
+        self.__parent__ = parent
+        self.request = parent.request
+
+    def __getitem__(self, key):
+        ''' provides a dict like interface to access child resources
+
+        :param str key:
+            path segment for a child resource
+        :rtype:
+            ordr2.resources.BaseResource or KeyError
+        '''
+        node_class = self.nodes[key]
+        return node_class(key, self)
+
+
+class RootResource(BaseResource):
+    ''' The root resource for the application '''
+
+    def __init__(self, request):
+        ''' Create the root resource
+
+        :param request:
+            the current request object
+        :type request:
+            pyramid.request.Request
+        '''
+        self.__name__ = None
+        self.__parent__ = None
+        self.request = request
 
-def root_factory(request):
-    return Root()
 
 
 def includeme(config):
@@ -14,5 +67,4 @@ def includeme(config):
     Activate this setup using ``config.include('ordr2.resources')``.
 
     '''
-    config.set_root_factory(root_factory)
-    config.add_static_view('static', 'ordr2:static', cache_max_age=3600)
+    config.set_root_factory(RootResource)
diff --git a/ordr2/scripts/initializedb.py b/ordr2/scripts/initializedb.py
index 7307ecc..9beefe1 100644
--- a/ordr2/scripts/initializedb.py
+++ b/ordr2/scripts/initializedb.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+''' initialize the database '''
+
 import os
 import sys
 import transaction
diff --git a/ordr2/views/__init__.py b/ordr2/views/__init__.py
index 5bb534f..fe727e6 100644
--- a/ordr2/views/__init__.py
+++ b/ordr2/views/__init__.py
@@ -1 +1,11 @@
-# package
+''' views (sub) package '''
+
+
+def includeme(config):
+    '''
+    Initialize the resources for traversal in a Pyramid app.
+
+    Activate this setup using ``config.include('ordr2.views')``.
+
+    '''
+    config.add_static_view('static', 'ordr2:static', cache_max_age=3600)
diff --git a/ordr2/views/default.py b/ordr2/views/default.py
deleted file mode 100644
index a1b6cf5..0000000
--- a/ordr2/views/default.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,33 +0,0 @@
-from pyramid.response import Response
-from pyramid.view import view_config
-
-from sqlalchemy.exc import DBAPIError
-
-from ..models import MyModel
-
-
-@view_config(context='ordr2.resources.Root', renderer='../templates/mytemplate.jinja2')
-def my_view(context, request):
-    try:
-        query = request.dbsession.query(MyModel)
-        one = query.filter(MyModel.name == 'one').first()
-    except DBAPIError:
-        return Response(db_err_msg, content_type='text/plain', status=500)
-    return {'one': one, 'project': 'Ordr2'}
-
-
-db_err_msg = '''\
-Pyramid is having a problem using your SQL database.  The problem
-might be caused by one of the following things:
-
-1.  You may need to run the 'initialize_ordr2_db' script
-    to initialize your database tables.  Check your virtual
-    environment's 'bin' directory for this script and try to run it.
-
-2.  Your database server may not be running.  Check that the
-    database server referred to by the 'sqlalchemy.url' setting in
-    your 'development.ini' file is running.
-
-After you fix the problem, please restart the Pyramid application to
-try it again.
-'''
diff --git a/ordr2/views/notfound.py b/ordr2/views/errors.py
similarity index 53%
rename from ordr2/views/notfound.py
rename to ordr2/views/errors.py
index 9798e0c..967ce90 100644
--- a/ordr2/views/notfound.py
+++ b/ordr2/views/errors.py
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 from pyramid.view import notfound_view_config
 
 
-@notfound_view_config(renderer='../templates/404.jinja2')
+@notfound_view_config(renderer='ordr2:templates/404.jinja2')
 def notfound_view(context, request):
+    ''' Displays a custom file not found (404) page '''
     request.response.status = 404
     return {}
diff --git a/ordr2/views/public.py b/ordr2/views/public.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..686860e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ordr2/views/public.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+''' pubic accessible views '''
+
+from pyramid.response import Response
+from pyramid.view import view_config
+
+from sqlalchemy.exc import DBAPIError
+
+from ..models import MyModel
+
+
+@view_config(
+    context='ordr2:resources.RootResource',
+    renderer='ordr2:templates/mytemplate.jinja2'
+    )
+def index(context, request):
+    return {}