diff --git a/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json b/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
deleted file mode 100644
index b3809f9..0000000
--- a/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-{
-	"build": {
-		"args": {
-			"SDK_VERSION": "${localEnv:SDK_VERSION}"
-		},
-		"dockerfile": "../${localEnv:DOCKER_FILE_PATH}"
-	},
-	"initializeCommand": "docker volume create ${localEnv:VSCODE_CONTAINER_PROJECT}",
-	"name": "${localEnv:VSCODE_CONTAINER_PROJECT}",
-	"postCreateCommand": "sudo chown vscode ${containerWorkspaceFolder}",
-	"runArgs": [
-		"--name",
-		"${localEnv:VSCODE_CONTAINER_PROJECT}"
-	],
-	"workspaceFolder": "/mnt/${localEnv:VSCODE_CONTAINER_PROJECT}",
-	"workspaceMount": "source=${localEnv:VSCODE_CONTAINER_PROJECT},target=/mnt/${localEnv:VSCODE_CONTAINER_PROJECT},type=volume"
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2eea525..541e1c5 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
-.env
\ No newline at end of file
+/projects/*
+!/projects/.template
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c67e4c4..7569a6c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,19 +1,19 @@
 # VS Code Dev Container Playground
 
-This repository keeps a minimal VS Code Dev Container setup that runs on top of Docker. With parameterized environment variables consumed by `.devcontainer/devcontainer.json`, the same workflow can prepare a baseline container environment for different development needs.
+This repository provides a template-based workflow for VS Code Dev Containers. Shared settings live under `compose-base/`, and each local dev container is created by copying `projects/.template/` into `projects/`.
 
 ## Getting Started
 
 Prerequisites: Docker is available on the host, and VS Code has the `ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers` extension installed.
 
 1. Download the repository (e.g., `git clone https://github.com/iplaylf2/vscode-container.git`).
-2. Set the required environment variables (for example `VSCODE_CONTAINER_PROJECT`, `DOCKER_FILE_PATH`, `SDK_VERSION`).
-3. Open the folder in VS Code and run `Dev Containers: Reopen in Container`.
+2. Copy `projects/.template/` to `projects/<your-project-name>`.
+3. Edit `projects/<your-project-name>/docker-compose.yaml` as needed.
+4. Set `VSCODE_CONTAINER_PROJECT` in the host environment that will launch VS Code.
+5. Open `projects/<your-project-name>` in VS Code and run `Dev Containers: Reopen in Container`.
 
-After the container is created, VS Code reopens the workspace inside the container. When the volume is freshly created, that directory starts empty.
+After the container is created, VS Code opens the workspace at `/mnt/${VSCODE_CONTAINER_PROJECT}`. The data lives in a Docker volume named `${VSCODE_CONTAINER_PROJECT}`.
 
 ## Configuration Notes
 
-- `VSCODE_CONTAINER_PROJECT` controls both the Docker volume name and the `/mnt/<project>` path inside the container.
-- Keep `DOCKER_FILE_PATH` and `SDK_VERSION` as environment variables so switching Dockerfiles or toolchains only requires updating those values.
-- The default container user is `vscode`; `postCreateCommand` ensures that account owns the workspace directory.
+- `VSCODE_CONTAINER_PROJECT` provides the project identity (volume name and `/mnt/<project>` path); it is an environment variable because `devcontainer.json` cannot pass variables into Docker Compose.
diff --git a/compose-base/docker-compose.yaml b/compose-base/docker-compose.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b4d962
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compose-base/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+name: ${VSCODE_CONTAINER_PROJECT}
+
+services:
+  devcontainer:
+    build:
+      context: ..
+    volumes:
+      - devcontainer-workspace:/mnt/${VSCODE_CONTAINER_PROJECT}
+
+volumes:
+  devcontainer-workspace:
+    name: ${VSCODE_CONTAINER_PROJECT}
diff --git a/projects/.template/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json b/projects/.template/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fd933b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/projects/.template/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+	"name": "${localEnv:VSCODE_CONTAINER_PROJECT}",
+	"dockerComposeFile": [
+		"../../../compose-base/docker-compose.yaml",
+		"../docker-compose.yaml"
+	],
+	"service": "devcontainer",
+	"workspaceFolder": "/mnt/${localEnv:VSCODE_CONTAINER_PROJECT}",
+	"postCreateCommand": "sudo chown vscode ${containerWorkspaceFolder}",
+	"overrideCommand": true
+}
diff --git a/projects/.template/docker-compose.yaml b/projects/.template/docker-compose.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3d8f540
--- /dev/null
+++ b/projects/.template/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+services:
+  devcontainer:
+    # Base settings come from ../../compose-base/docker-compose.yaml via dockerComposeFile.
+    build:
+      # Pick the Dockerfile that matches your dev environment.
+      dockerfile: images/base/Dockerfile
+      args:
+        # Optional: toolchain version for Dockerfiles that accept SDK_VERSION.
+        SDK_VERSION: 0