diff --git a/benchmark/allocator b/benchmark/allocator
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..6c37089bd
Binary files /dev/null and b/benchmark/allocator differ
diff --git a/benchmark/allocator.cpp b/benchmark/allocator.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7ad46705c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benchmark/allocator.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+#include <iostream>
+
+#include "utils/memory/allocator.hpp"
+#include "utils/memory/maker.hpp"
+
+struct TestStruct
+{
+    TestStruct(int a, int b, int c, int d)
+        : a(a), b(b), c(c), d(d) {}
+
+    int a, b, c, d;
+};
+
+void test_classic(int N)
+{
+    TestStruct** xs = new TestStruct*[N];
+
+    for(int i = 0; i < N; ++i)
+        xs[i] = new TestStruct(i, i, i, i);
+
+    for(int i = 0; i < N; ++i)
+        delete xs[i];
+
+    delete[] xs;
+}
+
+void test_fast(int N)
+{
+    TestStruct** xs = makeme<TestStruct*>(N);
+
+    for(int i = 0; i < N; ++i)
+        xs[i] = makeme<TestStruct>(i, i, i, i);
+
+    for(int i = 0; i < N; ++i)
+        delete xs[i];
+
+    delete[] xs;
+}
+
+int main(void)
+{
+    constexpr int N = 20000000;
+    test_classic(N);
+    test_fast(N);
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/data_model/edge.hpp b/data_model/edge.hpp
index 56cd32f5e..9531bbbd2 100644
--- a/data_model/edge.hpp
+++ b/data_model/edge.hpp
@@ -1,16 +1,17 @@
 #ifndef MEMGRAPH_DATA_MODEL_EDGE_HPP
 #define MEMGRAPH_DATA_MODEL_EDGE_HPP
 
-template <class T>
+#include "json/all.hpp"
+#include "record.hpp"
+
 struct Node;
 
-template <class T>
-struct Edge
+struct Edge : Record
 {
+    Node* from;
+    Node* to;
 
-    Node<T>* from;
-    Node<T>* to;   
-    T* data;
+    json::Object* data;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/data_model/graph.hpp b/data_model/graph.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b74f73ed9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data_model/graph.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#ifndef MEMGRAPH_DATA_MODEL_GRAPH_HPP
+#define MEMGRAPH_DATA_MODEL_GRAPH_HPP
+
+#include <vector>
+
+#include "node.hpp"
+#include "edge.hpp"
+
+struct Graph
+{
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/data_model/node.hpp b/data_model/node.hpp
index 5bbe721af..b797f0026 100644
--- a/data_model/node.hpp
+++ b/data_model/node.hpp
@@ -3,14 +3,16 @@
 
 #include <vector>
 
+#include "json/all.hpp"
+#include "record.hpp"
 #include "edge.hpp"
 
-template <class T>
-struct Node
+struct Node : Record
 {
-    std::vector<Edge<T>*> in;
-    std::vector<Edge<T>*> out;
-    T* data;
+    std::vector<Edge*> in;
+    std::vector<Edge*> out;
+
+    json::Object* data;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/data_model/record.hpp b/data_model/record.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cffa519d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data_model/record.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#ifndef MEMGRAPH_DATA_MODEL_RECORD_HPP
+#define MEMGRAPH_DATA_MODEL_RECORD_HPP
+
+#include <cstdlib>
+
+class Record
+{
+    uint64_t id;
+
+    // used by MVCC to keep track of what's visible to transactions
+    uint64_t xmin, xmax;
+};
+
+#endif
diff --git a/data_structures/sllist.hpp b/data_structures/sllist.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6fd52db84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data_structures/sllist.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#ifndef MEMGRAPH_DATA_STRUCTURES_SLLIST_HPP
+#define MEMGRAPH_DATA_STRUCTURES_SLLIST_HPP
+
+#include <list>
+
+template <class T,
+          class allocator=std::allocator<T>>
+class SafeList
+{
+};
+
+#endif
diff --git a/data_structures/spinlock_stack.hpp b/data_structures/slstack.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from data_structures/spinlock_stack.hpp
rename to data_structures/slstack.hpp
diff --git a/test/Makefile b/test/Makefile
index d9d91324a..aafc73bd7 100644
--- a/test/Makefile
+++ b/test/Makefile
@@ -26,4 +26,4 @@ clean:
 
 test:
 	make
-	./tests --success
+	./tests
diff --git a/test/allocator.cpp b/test/allocator.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f6c2b10b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/allocator.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+#include "catch.hpp"
+
+#include "utils/memory/allocator.hpp"
+
+TEST_CASE("A block of integers can be allocated")
+{
+    constexpr int N = 100;
+
+    fast_allocator<int> a;
+    
+    int* xs = a.allocate(N);
+
+    for(int i = 0; i < N; ++i)
+        xs[i] = i;
+
+    // can we read them back?
+    for(int i = 0; i < N; ++i)
+        REQUIRE(xs[i] == i);
+
+    // we should be able to free the memory
+    a.deallocate(xs, N);
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("Allocator should work with structures")
+{
+    struct TestObject
+    {
+        TestObject(int a, int b, int c, int d)
+            : a(a), b(b), c(c), d(d) {}
+
+        int a, b, c, d;
+    };
+
+    fast_allocator<TestObject> a;
+
+    SECTION("Allocate a single object")
+    {
+        auto* test = a.allocate(1);
+        *test = TestObject(1, 2, 3, 4);
+
+        REQUIRE(test->a == 1);
+        REQUIRE(test->b == 2);
+        REQUIRE(test->c == 3);
+        REQUIRE(test->d == 4);
+        
+        a.deallocate(test, 1);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("Allocate a block of structures")
+    {
+        constexpr int N = 8;
+        auto* tests = a.allocate(N);
+
+        // structures should not overlap!
+        for(int i = 0; i < N; ++i)
+            tests[i] = TestObject(i, i, i, i);
+
+        for(int i = 0; i < N; ++i)
+        {
+            REQUIRE(tests[i].a == i);
+            REQUIRE(tests[i].b == i);
+            REQUIRE(tests[i].c == i);
+            REQUIRE(tests[i].d == i);
+        }
+
+        a.deallocate(tests, N);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/test/spinlock.cpp b/test/spinlock.cpp
index 2d6519259..fce8592e4 100644
--- a/test/spinlock.cpp
+++ b/test/spinlock.cpp
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@
 #include "catch.hpp"
 #include "utils/sync/spinlock.hpp"
 
-#include <iostream>
-
 TEST_CASE("a thread can acquire and release the lock", "[spinlock]")
 {
     SpinLock lock;
@@ -30,7 +28,7 @@ void test_lock()
     x++;
 
     REQUIRE(x < 2);
-    std::this_thread::sleep_for(1s);
+    std::this_thread::sleep_for(25ms);
     
     x--;
     lock.release();
@@ -38,9 +36,11 @@ void test_lock()
 
 TEST_CASE("only one thread at a time can own the lock", "[spinlock]")
 {
+    constexpr int N = 64;
+
     std::vector<std::thread> threads;
 
-    for(int i = 0; i < 10; ++i)
+    for(int i = 0; i < N; ++i)
         threads.push_back(std::thread(test_lock));
 
     for(auto& thread : threads){
diff --git a/utils/memory/allocator.hpp b/utils/memory/allocator.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b2198b27b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/memory/allocator.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+#ifndef MEMGRAPH_UTILS_MEMORY_ALLOCATOR_HPP
+#define MEMGRAPH_UTILS_MEMORY_ALLOCATOR_HPP
+
+#include <cstdlib>
+#include <new>
+
+template <class Tp>
+struct fast_allocator {
+    typedef Tp value_type;
+
+    fast_allocator() = default;
+
+    template <class T>
+    fast_allocator(const fast_allocator<T>&) {}
+  
+    Tp* allocate(std::size_t n);
+    void deallocate(Tp* p, std::size_t n);
+};
+
+template <class Tp>
+Tp* fast_allocator<Tp>::allocate(std::size_t n)
+{
+    // hopefully we're using jemalloc here!
+    Tp* mem = static_cast<Tp*>(malloc(n * sizeof(Tp)));
+
+    if(mem != nullptr)
+        return mem;
+
+    throw std::bad_alloc();
+}
+
+template <class Tp>
+void fast_allocator<Tp>::deallocate(Tp* p, std::size_t)
+{
+    // hopefully we're using jemalloc here!
+    free(p);
+}
+
+template <class T, class U>
+bool operator==(const fast_allocator<T>&, const fast_allocator<U>&)
+{
+    return true;
+}
+
+template <class T, class U>
+bool operator!=(const fast_allocator<T>& a, const fast_allocator<U>& b)
+{
+    return !(a == b);
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/utils/memory/maker.hpp b/utils/memory/maker.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0d24f2911
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/memory/maker.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+#ifndef MEMGRAPH_UTILS_MEMORY_MAKER_HPP
+#define MEMGRAPH_UTILS_MEMORY_MAKER_HPP
+
+#include <cstdlib>
+
+#include "allocator.hpp"
+
+template <class T,
+          typename... Args,
+          class allocator=fast_allocator<T>>
+T* makeme(Args... args)
+{
+    allocator alloc;
+    T* mem = alloc.allocate(1);
+    return new (mem) T(args...);
+}
+
+template <class T,
+          class allocator=fast_allocator<T>>
+void takeme(T* mem)
+{
+    allocator alloc;
+    mem->~T();
+    alloc.deallocate(mem, 1);
+}
+
+#endif