diff --git a/src/gui/ctrl/elem-access-dir.hpp b/src/gui/ctrl/elem-access-dir.hpp
index 6fb9c92aa..b8863dc6b 100644
--- a/src/gui/ctrl/elem-access-dir.hpp
+++ b/src/gui/ctrl/elem-access-dir.hpp
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@
 
 #include "lib/error.hpp"
 #include "gui/model/element-access.hpp"
+#include "gui/ctrl/window-locator.hpp"
+#include "gui/ctrl/panel-locator.hpp"
 //#include "lib/symbol.hpp"
 //#include "lib/util.hpp"
 
@@ -64,11 +66,16 @@ namespace ctrl{
    */
   class ElemAccessDir
     : public model::ElementAccess
+    , ::util::NonCopyable
     {
+      WindowLocator& windowLoc_;
+      PanelLocator& panelLoc_;
       
     public:
       explicit
-      ElemAccessDir ()
+      ElemAccessDir (WindowLocator& windowLocatorService, PanelLocator& panelLocatorService)
+        : windowLoc_{windowLocatorService}
+        , panelLoc_{panelLocatorService}
         { }
       
       
diff --git a/src/gui/ctrl/window-locator.cpp b/src/gui/ctrl/window-locator.cpp
index 2c3336e60..01d72feca 100644
--- a/src/gui/ctrl/window-locator.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/ctrl/window-locator.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include "gui/ctrl/global-ctx.hpp"
 #include "gui/ctrl/panel-locator.hpp"
 #include "gui/ctrl/window-locator.hpp"
+#include "gui/ctrl/elem-access-dir.hpp"
 #include "gui/workspace/workspace-window.hpp"
 #include "lib/util.hpp"
 
@@ -58,8 +59,12 @@ namespace ctrl {
     : globalCtx_{globals}
     , windowList_{}
     , panelLoc_{windowList_}
+    , elementAccess_{*this, panelLoc_}
     { }
   
+  WindowLocator::~WindowLocator () { }
+  
+  
   
   void
   WindowLocator::newWindow ()
diff --git a/src/gui/ctrl/window-locator.hpp b/src/gui/ctrl/window-locator.hpp
index 43c7d76c6..c00d36083 100644
--- a/src/gui/ctrl/window-locator.hpp
+++ b/src/gui/ctrl/window-locator.hpp
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 
 #include "gui/gtk-base.hpp"
 #include "gui/ctrl/panel-locator.hpp"
+#include "lib/depend-inject.hpp"
 #include "lib/nocopy.hpp"
 
 #include <memory>
@@ -49,10 +50,13 @@ namespace gui {
   namespace controller { class Controller; }        ////////////////////////////////////////////////////TICKET #1048 : rectify UI lifecycle
   
 namespace workspace { class WorkspaceWindow; }
+namespace model {
+  class ElementAccess;
+}
 namespace ctrl {
   
   class GlobalCtx;
-  
+  class ElemAccessDir;
   using std::list;
   
   
@@ -61,17 +65,21 @@ namespace ctrl {
    * A centralised manager of all top level application windows.
    */
   class WindowLocator
-    : util::NonCopyable
+    : ::util::NonCopyable
     {
       using PWindow = std::shared_ptr<workspace::WorkspaceWindow>;
+      using Service_ElementAccess = lib::DependInject<model::ElementAccess>::ServiceInstance<ElemAccessDir>;
       
       GlobalCtx&    globalCtx_;
       list<PWindow> windowList_;
       PanelLocator  panelLoc_;
       
+      Service_ElementAccess elementAccess_;
+      
       
     public:
       WindowLocator (GlobalCtx&);
+     ~WindowLocator ();
       
       bool empty()  const;
       
diff --git a/src/gui/interact/interaction-director.cpp b/src/gui/interact/interaction-director.cpp
index 2b4a05a3a..b8a66a50e 100644
--- a/src/gui/interact/interaction-director.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/interact/interaction-director.cpp
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ namespace interact {
   InteractionDirector::InteractionDirector (GlobalCtx& globals)
     : model::Controller(session::Root::getID(), globals.uiBus_.getAccessPoint())
     , globalCtx_(globals)
-    , viewLocator_{new ViewLocator{globals.windowLoc_}}
+    , viewLocator_{new ViewLocator}
     , spotLocator_{new SpotLocator}
     , navigator_{*spotLocator_, *viewLocator_}    // Service exposed as Depend<LocationQuery>
     , tracker_{new FocusTracker{*navigator_}}
diff --git a/src/gui/interact/view-locator.cpp b/src/gui/interact/view-locator.cpp
index 6778ba4cf..4a7eb4915 100644
--- a/src/gui/interact/view-locator.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/interact/view-locator.cpp
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
 #include "gui/interact/view-locator.hpp"
 #include "gui/interact/ui-location-solver.hpp"
 #include "gui/ctrl/panel-locator.hpp"
-#include "gui/ctrl/window-locator.hpp"
+#include "gui/model/element-access.hpp"
 #include "gui/interact/ui-coord-resolver.hpp"
 #include "lib/depend.hpp"
 #include "lib/symbol.hpp"
@@ -51,8 +51,9 @@
 //using util::cStr;
 //using util::isnil;
 using lib::Symbol;
-using gui::ctrl::PanelLocator;
-using gui::ctrl::WindowLocator;
+//using gui::ctrl::PanelLocator;
+//using gui::ctrl::WindowLocator;
+using gui::model::ElementAccess;
 
 
 namespace gui {
@@ -70,9 +71,8 @@ namespace interact {
   
   
   
-  ViewLocator::ViewLocator (ctrl::WindowLocator& windowLocatorService)
-    : windowLoc_{windowLocatorService}
-    , locResolver_{LocationQuery::service}
+  ViewLocator::ViewLocator ()
+    : locResolver_{LocationQuery::service}
     { }
   
   // dtors via smart-ptr invoked from here...
@@ -82,11 +82,11 @@ namespace interact {
   
   /* === Service accessors within global context === */
   
-  PanelLocator&
-  ViewLocator::panelLocator()
-  {
-    return windowLoc_.locatePanel();
-  }
+//  PanelLocator&
+//  ViewLocator::panelLocator()
+//  {
+//    return windowLoc_.locatePanel();
+//  }
   
   
   
diff --git a/src/gui/interact/view-locator.hpp b/src/gui/interact/view-locator.hpp
index ce23cc85f..ad71718e3 100644
--- a/src/gui/interact/view-locator.hpp
+++ b/src/gui/interact/view-locator.hpp
@@ -68,9 +68,11 @@
 
 
 namespace gui {
+namespace model{
+  class ElementAccess;
+}
 namespace ctrl{
   class PanelLocator;
-  class WindowLocator;
 }
 namespace interact {
   
@@ -87,16 +89,16 @@ namespace interact {
    * @todo initial draft as of 9/2017 -- actual implementation need to be filled in
    */
   class ViewLocator
-    : util::NonCopyable
+    : ::util::NonCopyable
     {
       using Service_LocationSolver = lib::DependInject<UILocationSolver>::ServiceInstance<>;
       
-      ctrl::WindowLocator&   windowLoc_;
+      lib::Depend<model::ElementAccess>  elementAccess;
       Service_LocationSolver locResolver_;
       
       
     public:
-      ViewLocator (ctrl::WindowLocator&);
+      ViewLocator ();
      ~ViewLocator();
       
       
@@ -108,7 +110,6 @@ namespace interact {
       
     private:
       /* === accessors to sibling global services  === */
-      ctrl::PanelLocator&  panelLocator();
       
     };