diff --git a/engine/src/descriptors/descriptor_pool.cpp b/engine/src/descriptors/descriptor_pool.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4401fcf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/engine/src/descriptors/descriptor_pool.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+#include "descriptor_pool.hpp"
+
+#include <stdexcept>
+
+namespace sophia {
+
+DescriptorPool::Builder& DescriptorPool::Builder::addPoolSize(
+    vk::DescriptorType descriptorType, u32 count) {
+  this->poolSizes.push_back({descriptorType, count});
+  return *this;
+}
+
+DescriptorPool::Builder& DescriptorPool::Builder::setPoolFlags(
+    vk::DescriptorPoolCreateFlags flags) {
+  this->poolFlags = flags;
+  return *this;
+}
+
+DescriptorPool::Builder& DescriptorPool::Builder::setMaxSets(u32 count) {
+  this->maxSets = count;
+  return *this;
+}
+
+std::unique_ptr<DescriptorPool> DescriptorPool::Builder::build() const {
+  return std::make_unique<DescriptorPool>(this->device, this->maxSets,
+                                          this->poolFlags, this->poolSizes);
+}
+
+DescriptorPool::DescriptorPool(
+    Device& device, u32 maxSets, vk::DescriptorPoolCreateFlags poolFlags,
+    const std::vector<vk::DescriptorPoolSize>& poolSizes)
+    : device{device} {
+  vk::DescriptorPoolCreateInfo descriptorPoolInfo{};
+  descriptorPoolInfo.poolSizeCount = static_cast<uint32_t>(poolSizes.size());
+  descriptorPoolInfo.pPoolSizes = poolSizes.data();
+  descriptorPoolInfo.maxSets = maxSets;
+  descriptorPoolInfo.flags = poolFlags;
+
+  vk::Result result = this->device.get()->createDescriptorPool(
+      &descriptorPoolInfo, nullptr, &this->descriptorPool);
+
+  if (result != vk::Result::eSuccess) {
+    log::fatal("failed to create descriptor pool");
+    throw std::runtime_error("failed to create descriptor pool");
+  }
+}
+
+DescriptorPool::~DescriptorPool() {
+  this->device.get()->destroyDescriptorPool(this->descriptorPool);
+}
+
+bool DescriptorPool::allocateDescriptorSet(
+    const vk::DescriptorSetLayout descriptorSetLayout,
+    vk::DescriptorSet& descriptor) const {
+  vk::DescriptorSetAllocateInfo allocInfo{};
+  allocInfo.descriptorPool = descriptorPool;
+  allocInfo.pSetLayouts = &descriptorSetLayout;
+  allocInfo.descriptorSetCount = 1;
+
+  // Might want to create a "DescriptorPoolManager" class that handles this
+  // case, and builds a new pool whenever an old pool fills up. But this is
+  // beyond our current scope
+  vk::Result result =
+      this->device.get()->allocateDescriptorSets(&allocInfo, &descriptor);
+
+  if (result == vk::Result::eSuccess) {
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  return false;
+}
+
+void DescriptorPool::freeDescriptors(
+    std::vector<vk::DescriptorSet>& descriptors) const {
+  vk::Result result = this->device.get()->freeDescriptorSets(
+      this->descriptorPool, static_cast<u32>(descriptors.size()),
+      descriptors.data());
+
+  if (result != vk::Result::eSuccess) {
+    log::fatal("failed to free descriptor sets");
+    throw std::runtime_error("failed to free descriptor sets");
+  }
+}
+
+void DescriptorPool::resetPool() {
+  this->device.get()->resetDescriptorPool(this->descriptorPool);
+}
+
+}  // namespace sophia
diff --git a/engine/src/descriptors/descriptor_pool.hpp b/engine/src/descriptors/descriptor_pool.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..78ee0c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/engine/src/descriptors/descriptor_pool.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <memory>
+#include <vector>
+
+#include "device.hpp"
+
+namespace sophia {
+
+class DescriptorPool {
+ public:
+  DescriptorPool(const DescriptorPool&) = delete;
+  DescriptorPool& operator=(const DescriptorPool&) = delete;
+
+  class Builder {
+   public:
+    Builder(Device& device) : device{device} {}
+
+    Builder& addPoolSize(vk::DescriptorType descriptorType, u32 count);
+    Builder& setPoolFlags(vk::DescriptorPoolCreateFlags flags);
+    Builder& setMaxSets(u32 count);
+    std::unique_ptr<DescriptorPool> build() const;
+
+   private:
+    Device& device;
+    std::vector<vk::DescriptorPoolSize> poolSizes{};
+    u32 maxSets = 1000;
+    vk::DescriptorPoolCreateFlags poolFlags{};
+  };
+
+  DescriptorPool(Device& device, u32 maxSets,
+                 vk::DescriptorPoolCreateFlags poolFlags,
+                 const std::vector<vk::DescriptorPoolSize>& poolSizes);
+  ~DescriptorPool();
+
+  bool allocateDescriptorSet(const vk::DescriptorSetLayout descriptorSetLayout,
+                             vk::DescriptorSet& descriptor) const;
+
+  void freeDescriptors(std::vector<vk::DescriptorSet>& descriptors) const;
+
+  void resetPool();
+
+  const vk::DescriptorPool& get() { return this->descriptorPool; }
+
+ private:
+  Device& device;
+  vk::DescriptorPool descriptorPool;
+
+  friend class DescriptorWriter;
+};
+
+}  // namespace sophia
diff --git a/engine/src/descriptors/descriptor_set_layout.cpp b/engine/src/descriptors/descriptor_set_layout.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c1e9022
--- /dev/null
+++ b/engine/src/descriptors/descriptor_set_layout.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#include "descriptor_set_layout.hpp"
+
+#include <cassert>
+#include <stdexcept>
+
+namespace sophia {
+
+DescriptorSetLayout::Builder& DescriptorSetLayout::Builder::addBinding(
+    u32 binding, vk::DescriptorType descriptorType,
+    vk::ShaderStageFlags stageFlags, u32 count) {
+  assert(this->bindings.count(binding) == 0 && "binding already in use");
+
+  vk::DescriptorSetLayoutBinding layoutBinding{binding, descriptorType, count,
+                                               stageFlags};
+  this->bindings[binding] = layoutBinding;
+
+  return *this;
+}
+
+std::unique_ptr<DescriptorSetLayout> DescriptorSetLayout::Builder::build()
+    const {
+  return std::make_unique<DescriptorSetLayout>(this->device, this->bindings);
+}
+
+DescriptorSetLayout::DescriptorSetLayout(
+    Device& device,
+    std::unordered_map<u32, vk::DescriptorSetLayoutBinding> bindings)
+    : device{device}, bindings{bindings} {
+  std::vector<vk::DescriptorSetLayoutBinding> setLayoutBindings{};
+
+  for (auto binding : bindings) {
+    setLayoutBindings.push_back(binding.second);
+  }
+
+  vk::DescriptorSetLayoutCreateInfo layoutCreateInfo{};
+  layoutCreateInfo.bindingCount =
+      static_cast<uint32_t>(setLayoutBindings.size());
+  layoutCreateInfo.pBindings = setLayoutBindings.data();
+
+  vk::Result result = this->device.get()->createDescriptorSetLayout(
+      &layoutCreateInfo, nullptr, &this->layout);
+
+  if (result != vk::Result::eSuccess) {
+    log::fatal("failed to create descriptor pool");
+    throw std::runtime_error("failed to create descriptor set layout");
+  }
+}
+
+DescriptorSetLayout::~DescriptorSetLayout() {
+  this->device.get()->destroyDescriptorSetLayout(this->layout);
+}
+
+}  // namespace sophia
diff --git a/engine/src/descriptors/descriptor_set_layout.hpp b/engine/src/descriptors/descriptor_set_layout.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ff75b55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/engine/src/descriptors/descriptor_set_layout.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <memory>
+#include <unordered_map>
+#include <vector>
+
+#include "device.hpp"
+
+namespace sophia {
+
+class DescriptorSetLayout {
+ public:
+  DescriptorSetLayout(const DescriptorSetLayout&) = delete;
+  DescriptorSetLayout& operator=(const DescriptorSetLayout&) = delete;
+
+  class Builder {
+   public:
+    Builder(Device& device) : device{device} {}
+
+    Builder& addBinding(u32 binding, vk::DescriptorType descriptorType,
+                        vk::ShaderStageFlags stageFlags, u32 count = 1);
+
+    std::unique_ptr<DescriptorSetLayout> build() const;
+
+   private:
+    Device& device;
+    std::unordered_map<u32, vk::DescriptorSetLayoutBinding> bindings{};
+  };
+
+  DescriptorSetLayout(
+      Device& device,
+      std::unordered_map<u32, vk::DescriptorSetLayoutBinding> bindings);
+  ~DescriptorSetLayout();
+
+  vk::DescriptorSetLayout getDescriptorSetLayout() const {
+    return this->layout;
+  }
+
+ private:
+  Device& device;
+  vk::DescriptorSetLayout layout;
+  std::unordered_map<u32, vk::DescriptorSetLayoutBinding> bindings;
+
+  friend class DescriptorWriter;
+};
+
+}  // namespace sophia
diff --git a/engine/src/descriptors/descriptor_writer.cpp b/engine/src/descriptors/descriptor_writer.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b272e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/engine/src/descriptors/descriptor_writer.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+#include "descriptor_writer.hpp"
+
+#include <cassert>
+#include <stdexcept>
+
+namespace sophia {
+
+DescriptorWriter::DescriptorWriter(DescriptorSetLayout& setLayout,
+                                   DescriptorPool& pool)
+    : setLayout{setLayout}, pool{pool} {}
+
+DescriptorWriter& DescriptorWriter::writeBuffer(
+    u32 binding, vk::DescriptorBufferInfo* bufferInfo) {
+  assert(this->setLayout.bindings.count(binding) == 1 &&
+         "setLayout does not contain specified binding");
+
+  auto& bindingDescription = this->setLayout.bindings[binding];
+
+  assert(bindingDescription.descriptorCount == 1 &&
+         "binding single descriptor info, but binding expects multiple");
+
+  vk::WriteDescriptorSet write{};
+  write.descriptorType = bindingDescription.descriptorType;
+  write.dstBinding = binding;
+  write.pBufferInfo = bufferInfo;
+  write.descriptorCount = 1;
+
+  writes.push_back(write);
+  return *this;
+}
+
+DescriptorWriter& DescriptorWriter::writeImage(
+    u32 binding, vk::DescriptorImageInfo* imageInfo) {
+  assert(this->setLayout.bindings.count(binding) == 1 &&
+         "setLayout does not contain specified binding");
+
+  auto& bindingDescription = this->setLayout.bindings[binding];
+
+  assert(bindingDescription.descriptorCount == 1 &&
+         "binding single descriptor info, but binding expects multiple");
+
+  vk::WriteDescriptorSet write{};
+  write.descriptorType = bindingDescription.descriptorType;
+  write.dstBinding = binding;
+  write.pImageInfo = imageInfo;
+  write.descriptorCount = 1;
+
+  writes.push_back(write);
+  return *this;
+}
+
+bool DescriptorWriter::build(vk::DescriptorSet& set) {
+  bool success =
+      this->pool.allocateDescriptorSet(setLayout.getDescriptorSetLayout(), set);
+
+  if (!success) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  overwrite(set);
+  return true;
+}
+
+void DescriptorWriter::overwrite(vk::DescriptorSet& set) {
+  for (auto& write : writes) {
+    write.dstSet = set;
+  }
+
+  this->pool.device.get()->updateDescriptorSets(writes.size(), writes.data(), 0,
+                                                nullptr);
+}
+
+}  // namespace sophia
diff --git a/engine/src/descriptors/descriptor_writer.hpp b/engine/src/descriptors/descriptor_writer.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..95effbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/engine/src/descriptors/descriptor_writer.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <vector>
+
+#include "descriptor_pool.hpp"
+#include "descriptor_set_layout.hpp"
+#include "device.hpp"
+
+namespace sophia {
+
+class DescriptorWriter {
+ public:
+  DescriptorWriter(DescriptorSetLayout& setLayout, DescriptorPool& pool);
+
+  DescriptorWriter& writeBuffer(u32 binding,
+                                vk::DescriptorBufferInfo* bufferInfo);
+  DescriptorWriter& writeImage(u32 binding, vk::DescriptorImageInfo* imageInfo);
+
+  bool build(vk::DescriptorSet& set);
+  void overwrite(vk::DescriptorSet& set);
+
+ private:
+  DescriptorSetLayout& setLayout;
+  DescriptorPool& pool;
+  std::vector<vk::WriteDescriptorSet> writes;
+};
+
+}  // namespace sophia