diff --git a/api/setup.py b/api/setup.py
index c63ddea625a..f6b0c0a4b0f 100755
--- a/api/setup.py
+++ b/api/setup.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 SHARED_DATA_SUBDIRS = ['labware-json-schema',
                        'protocol-json-schema',
                        'definitions',
+                       'definitions2',
                        'robot-data']
 # Where, relative to the package root, we put the files we copy
 DEST_BASE_PATH = 'shared_data'
diff --git a/api/src/opentrons/protocol_api/__init__.py b/api/src/opentrons/protocol_api/__init__.py
index 580e56c2ccb..b90d60270f6 100644
--- a/api/src/opentrons/protocol_api/__init__.py
+++ b/api/src/opentrons/protocol_api/__init__.py
@@ -4,13 +4,18 @@
 control the OT2.
 
 """
+from collections import UserDict
 import enum
+import logging
 import os
 from typing import List, Dict
 
 from opentrons.protocol_api.labware import Well, Labware, load
+from opentrons import types
 from . import back_compat
 
+MODULE_LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
 
 def run(protocol_bytes: bytes = None,
         protocol_json: str = None,
@@ -52,21 +57,22 @@ class ProtocolContext:
     """
 
     def __init__(self):
-        pass
+        self._deck_layout = Deck()
 
     def load_labware(
-            self, labware_obj: Labware, location: str,
-            label: str = None, share: bool = False):
+            self, labware_obj: Labware, location: types.DeckLocation,
+            label: str = None, share: bool = False) -> Labware:
         """ Specify the presence of a piece of labware on the OT2 deck.
 
         This function loads the labware specified by ``labware``
         (previously loaded from a configuration file) to the location
         specified by ``location``.
         """
-        pass
+        self._deck_layout[location] = labware_obj
+        return labware_obj
 
     def load_labware_by_name(
-            self, labware_name: str, location: str) -> Labware:
+            self, labware_name: str, location: types.DeckLocation) -> Labware:
         """ A convenience function to specify a piece of labware by name.
 
         For labware already defined by Opentrons, this is a convient way
@@ -76,18 +82,18 @@ def load_labware_by_name(
         This function returns the created and initialized labware for use
         later in the protocol.
         """
-        labware = load(labware_name, location)
-        self.load_labware(labware, location)
-        return labware
+        labware = load(labware_name,
+                       self._deck_layout.position_for(location))
+        return self.load_labware(labware, location)
 
     @property
-    def loaded_labwares(self) -> Dict[str, Labware]:
+    def loaded_labwares(self) -> Dict[int, Labware]:
         """ Get the labwares that have been loaded into the protocol context.
 
         The return value is a dict mapping locations to labware, sorted
         in order of the locations.
         """
-        pass
+        return dict(self._deck_layout)
 
     def load_instrument(
             self, instrument_name: str, mount: str) \
@@ -283,6 +289,7 @@ def pick_up_current(self, amps: float):
 
         :param amps: The current, in amperes. Acceptable values: (0.0, 2.0)
         """
+        pass
 
     @property
     def type(self) -> TYPE:
@@ -308,3 +315,62 @@ def trash_container(self) -> Labware:
     @trash_container.setter
     def trash_container(self, trash: Labware):
         pass
+
+
+class Deck(UserDict):
+    def __init__(self):
+        super().__init__()
+        row_offset = 90.5
+        col_offset = 132.5
+        for idx in range(1, 13):
+            self.data[idx] = None
+        self._positions = {idx+1: types.Point((idx % 3) * col_offset,
+                                              idx//3 * row_offset,
+                                              0)
+                           for idx in range(12)}
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _assure_int(key: object) -> int:
+        if isinstance(key, str):
+            return int(key)
+        elif isinstance(key, int):
+            return key
+        else:
+            raise TypeError(type(key))
+
+    def _check_name(self, key: object) -> int:
+        should_raise = False
+        try:
+            key_int = Deck._assure_int(key)
+        except Exception:
+            MODULE_LOG.exception("Bad slot name: {}".format(key))
+            should_raise = True
+        should_raise = should_raise or key_int not in self.data
+        if should_raise:
+            raise ValueError("Unknown slot: {}".format(key))
+        else:
+            return key_int
+
+    def __getitem__(self, key: types.DeckLocation) -> Labware:
+        return self.data[self._check_name(key)]
+
+    def __delitem__(self, key: types.DeckLocation) -> None:
+        self.data[self._check_name(key)] = None
+
+    def __setitem__(self, key: types.DeckLocation, val: Labware) -> None:
+        key_int = self._check_name(key)
+        if self.data.get(key_int) is not None:
+            raise ValueError('Deck location {} already has an item: {}'
+                             .format(key, self.data[key_int]))
+        self.data[key_int] = val
+
+    def __contains__(self, key: object) -> bool:
+        try:
+            key_int = self._check_name(key)
+        except ValueError:
+            return False
+        return key_int in self.data
+
+    def position_for(self, key: types.DeckLocation) -> types.Point:
+        key_int = self._check_name(key)
+        return self._positions[key_int]
diff --git a/api/src/opentrons/protocol_api/labware.py b/api/src/opentrons/protocol_api/labware.py
index cdb6c350b27..43298f32c68 100644
--- a/api/src/opentrons/protocol_api/labware.py
+++ b/api/src/opentrons/protocol_api/labware.py
@@ -123,7 +123,9 @@ def __init__(self, definition: dict, parent: Point) -> None:
                           for well in col]
         self._wells = definition['wells']
         offset = definition['cornerOffsetFromSlot']
-        self._offset = Point(x=offset['x'], y=offset['y'], z=offset['z'])
+        self._offset = Point(x=offset['x'] + parent.x,
+                             y=offset['y'] + parent.y,
+                             z=offset['z'] + parent.z)
         self._pattern = re.compile(r'^([A-Z]+)([1-9][0-9]*)$', re.X)
 
     def wells(self) -> List[Well]:
@@ -226,28 +228,18 @@ def _load_definition_by_name(name: str) -> dict:
     raise NotImplementedError
 
 
-def _get_slot_position(slot: str) -> Point:
-    """
-    :param slot: a string corresponding to a slot on the deck
-    :return: a Point representing the position of the lower-left corner of the
-        slot
-    """
-    raise NotImplementedError
-
-
-def load(name: str, slot: str) -> Labware:
+def load(name: str, ll_at: Point) -> Labware:
     """
     Return a labware object constructed from a labware definition dict looked
     up by name (definition must have been previously stored locally on the
     robot)
     """
     definition = _load_definition_by_name(name)
-    return load_from_definition(definition, slot)
+    return load_from_definition(definition, ll_at)
 
 
-def load_from_definition(definition: dict, slot: str) -> Labware:
+def load_from_definition(definition: dict, ll_at: Point) -> Labware:
     """
     Return a labware object constructed from a provided labware definition dict
     """
-    point = _get_slot_position(slot)
-    return Labware(definition, point)
+    return Labware(definition, ll_at)
diff --git a/api/src/opentrons/types.py b/api/src/opentrons/types.py
index d971e43ddfb..2a0de24663f 100644
--- a/api/src/opentrons/types.py
+++ b/api/src/opentrons/types.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import enum
+from typing import Union
 from collections import namedtuple
 
 Point = namedtuple('Point', ['x', 'y', 'z'])
@@ -7,3 +8,6 @@
 class Mount(enum.Enum):
     LEFT = enum.auto()
     RIGHT = enum.auto()
+
+
+DeckLocation = Union[int, str]
diff --git a/api/tests/opentrons/protocol_api/test_context.py b/api/tests/opentrons/protocol_api/test_context.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3c786e1ff31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/tests/opentrons/protocol_api/test_context.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+""" Test the functions and classes in the protocol context """
+
+from opentrons import protocol_api as papi
+
+import pytest
+
+
+def test_slot_names():
+    slots_by_int = list(range(1, 13))
+    slots_by_str = [str(idx) for idx in slots_by_int]
+    for method in (slots_by_int, slots_by_str):
+        d = papi.Deck()
+        for idx, slot in enumerate(method):
+            assert slot in d
+            d[slot] = 'its real'
+            with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+                d[slot] = 'not this time boyo'
+            del d[slot]
+            assert slot in d
+            assert d[slot] is None
+
+    assert 'hasasdaia' not in d
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        d['ahgoasia'] = 'nope'
diff --git a/api/tests/opentrons/protocol_api/test_labware_load.py b/api/tests/opentrons/protocol_api/test_labware_load.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a5a9fa265d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/tests/opentrons/protocol_api/test_labware_load.py
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import json
+import pkgutil
+from opentrons import protocol_api as papi, types
+
+# TODO: Remove this when labware load is actually wired up
+labware_name = 'generic_96_wellPlate_380_uL'
+labware_def = json.loads(
+    pkgutil.get_data('opentrons',
+                     'shared_data/definitions2/{}.json'.format(labware_name)))
+
+
+def test_load_to_slot(monkeypatch):
+    def dummy_load(labware):
+        return labware_def
+    monkeypatch.setattr(papi.labware, '_load_definition_by_name', dummy_load)
+    ctx = papi.ProtocolContext()
+    labware = ctx.load_labware_by_name(labware_name, '1')
+    assert labware._offset == types.Point(0, 0, 0)
+    other = ctx.load_labware_by_name(labware_name, 2)
+    assert other._offset == types.Point(132.5, 0, 0)
+
+
+def test_loaded(monkeypatch):
+    def dummy_load(labware):
+        return labware_def
+    monkeypatch.setattr(papi.labware, '_load_definition_by_name', dummy_load)
+    ctx = papi.ProtocolContext()
+    labware = ctx.load_labware_by_name(labware_name, '1')
+    assert ctx.loaded_labwares[1] == labware
+
+
+def test_from_backcompat(monkeypatch):
+    def dummy_load(labware):
+        return labware_def
+    monkeypatch.setattr(papi.labware, '_load_definition_by_name', dummy_load)
+    ctx = papi.ProtocolContext()
+    papi.back_compat.reset(ctx)
+    lw = papi.back_compat.labware.load(labware_name, 3)
+    assert lw == ctx.loaded_labwares[3]
diff --git a/shared-data/definitions2/Opentrons_96_tiprack_300_uL.json b/shared-data/definitions2/Opentrons_96_tiprack_300_uL.json
index 38fed45d34b..5e2e42f0f7e 100644
--- a/shared-data/definitions2/Opentrons_96_tiprack_300_uL.json
+++ b/shared-data/definitions2/Opentrons_96_tiprack_300_uL.json
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@
             "opentrons"
         ]
     },
+    "cornerOffsetFromSlot": { "x": 0, "y": 0, "z": 0},
     "dimensions": {
         "overallLength": 127.76,
         "overallWidth": 85.48,
diff --git a/shared-data/definitions2/generic_96_wellPlate_380_uL.json b/shared-data/definitions2/generic_96_wellPlate_380_uL.json
index 85d068ade56..ba237c53bf4 100644
--- a/shared-data/definitions2/generic_96_wellPlate_380_uL.json
+++ b/shared-data/definitions2/generic_96_wellPlate_380_uL.json
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@
             "generic"
         ]
     },
+    "cornerOffsetFromSlot": { "x": 0, "y": 0, "z": 0},
     "dimensions": {
         "overallLength": 127.76,
         "overallWidth": 85.48,