diff --git a/examples/main.cpp b/examples/main.cpp
index bfaa384..375449c 100644
--- a/examples/main.cpp
+++ b/examples/main.cpp
@@ -6,11 +6,6 @@
 
 #include "tangerine.h"
 
-using glm::vec3;
-using glm::vec4;
-using glm::uvec4;
-using glm::mat4;
-
 
 bool
 loadLights(RenderState* rs)
diff --git a/include/asset.h b/include/asset.h
index 0d67609..a76bbdc 100644
--- a/include/asset.h
+++ b/include/asset.h
@@ -27,12 +27,12 @@ struct Mesh
 {
 	u32 num_vertices;
 	u32 num_indices;
-	glm::vec3* vertices;
-	glm::vec3* normals;
-	glm::vec2* uvs;
-	glm::vec3* colors;
+	vec3* vertices;
+	vec3* normals;
+	vec2* uvs;
+	vec3* colors;
 	u16* indices; // NOTE: u16 to match tinygltf library output
-	glm::mat4* xform;
+	mat4* xform;
 };
 
 #define MAX_PATH_SIZE 256
diff --git a/include/camera.h b/include/camera.h
index 8e27e4b..51cd952 100644
--- a/include/camera.h
+++ b/include/camera.h
@@ -6,11 +6,6 @@
 #include "types.h"
 #include "shader.h"
 
-using glm::ivec2;
-using glm::vec2;
-using glm::vec3;
-using glm::mat4;
-
 
 struct Transforms
 {
diff --git a/include/entity.h b/include/entity.h
index b85a78f..e07de17 100644
--- a/include/entity.h
+++ b/include/entity.h
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ struct Entity
 	u32 num_meshes;
 	GLMesh* meshes;
 	GLTexture* diffuse_texture;	// NOTE: pointer into gl_ctx->textures array
-	glm::mat4* model_xform;
+	mat4* model_xform;
 	char* name;
 };
 
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ bool initEntity(Entity* e,
 	GLBufferToAttribMapping* attrib_mappings,
 	const char* name = "");
 
-void setEntityPosition(Entity* e, glm::vec3 pos);
+void setEntityPosition(Entity* e, vec3 pos);
 
-void rotateEntity(Entity* e, glm::vec3 axis, float radians);
+void rotateEntity(Entity* e, vec3 axis, float radians);
 
 void scaleEntity(Entity* e, float scale);
diff --git a/include/shader.h b/include/shader.h
index 2c26226..3e9494e 100644
--- a/include/shader.h
+++ b/include/shader.h
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ struct GLMesh
 	GLenum draw_mode; // NOTE: GL_LINES, GL_TRIANGLES
 	GLenum usage; // NOTE: GL_STATIC_DRAW, GL_DYNAMIC_DRAW
 
-	glm::mat4* node_xform;
+	mat4* node_xform;
 
 	u32 num_vertex_attrib_buffers;
 	GLBuffer* vertex_attrib_buffers;
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ GLBuffer* initGLBackingBuffer(GLContext* gl_ctx,
 void updateGLBuffer(GLBuffer* gl_buf, void* data);
 
 void renderVAO(GLMesh* glmesh,
-	glm::mat4* node_xform,
+	mat4* node_xform,
 	ShaderProgram* shader,
 	GLTexture* gl_tex);
 
diff --git a/include/tangerine.h b/include/tangerine.h
index ad2b933..1a73f24 100644
--- a/include/tangerine.h
+++ b/include/tangerine.h
@@ -84,8 +84,6 @@
 #include "types.h"
 #include "util.h"
 
-using glm::uvec2;
-
 
 struct SDLHandles
 {
@@ -157,15 +155,15 @@ struct LightsBuffer
 	u32* max_d_lights;
 	u32* active_d_lights;
 
-	glm::vec4* ambient_color;
+	vec4* ambient_color;
 
-	glm::vec4* pl_positions;
-	glm::vec4* pl_colors;
-	glm::uvec4* pl_intensities;
+	vec4* pl_positions;
+	vec4* pl_colors;
+	uvec4* pl_intensities;
 
-	glm::vec4* dl_directions;
-	glm::vec4* dl_colors;
-	glm::uvec4* dl_intensities;
+	vec4* dl_directions;
+	vec4* dl_colors;
+	uvec4* dl_intensities;
 
 	void* buffer;
 };
diff --git a/include/types.h b/include/types.h
index e2bbdbd..67aece4 100644
--- a/include/types.h
+++ b/include/types.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <cstdint>
+#include <glm/glm.hpp>
 
 
 typedef uint8_t u8;
@@ -11,3 +12,12 @@ typedef uint64_t u64;
 
 typedef int32_t i32;
 typedef int64_t i64;
+
+using glm::ivec2;
+using glm::uvec2;
+using glm::uvec4;
+using glm::vec2;
+using glm::vec3;
+using glm::vec4;
+using glm::mat4;
+
diff --git a/src/asset.cpp b/src/asset.cpp
index 289d294..8f84e75 100644
--- a/src/asset.cpp
+++ b/src/asset.cpp
@@ -213,27 +213,27 @@ copyBuffer(uint8_t*& buffer_ref,
 }
 
 // FIXME: need to implement tree structure for blender models to work properly
-glm::mat4*
+mat4*
 parseNodeTransform(MemoryArena* arena, const tinygltf::Node* node)
 {
 	if (node->rotation.size() == 4
 		&& node->scale.size() == 3
 		&& node->translation.size() == 3)
 	{
-		glm::mat4* xform = ARENA_ALLOC(arena, glm::mat4, 1);
-		*xform = glm::mat4(1.0f);
+		mat4* xform = ARENA_ALLOC(arena, mat4, 1);
+		*xform = mat4(1.0f);
 		*xform = glm::rotate(*xform, (float) node->rotation[3],
-			glm::vec3((float) node->rotation[0],
+			vec3((float) node->rotation[0],
 				(float) node->rotation[1],
 				(float) node->rotation[2])
 		);
 		*xform = glm::scale(*xform,
-			glm::vec3((float) node->scale[0],
+			vec3((float) node->scale[0],
 				(float) node->scale[0],
 				(float) node->scale[0])
 		);
 		*xform = glm::translate(*xform,
-			glm::vec3((float) node->translation[0],
+			vec3((float) node->translation[0],
 				(float) node->translation[0],
 				(float) node->translation[0])
 		);
@@ -269,8 +269,8 @@ parseMeshNode(Mesh* m,
 	m->num_indices = index_acc.count;
 	// FIXME: the node transforms from blender only work as part of a node tree
 #if 1
-	m->xform = ARENA_ALLOC(arena, glm::mat4, 1);
-	*m->xform = glm::mat4(1.0f);
+	m->xform = ARENA_ALLOC(arena, mat4, 1);
+	*m->xform = mat4(1.0f);
 #else
 	m->xform = parseNodeTransform(arena, &node);
 #endif
diff --git a/src/camera.cpp b/src/camera.cpp
index 493c87e..59597fd 100644
--- a/src/camera.cpp
+++ b/src/camera.cpp
@@ -7,12 +7,6 @@
 
 #include "camera.h"
 
-using glm::ivec2;
-using glm::vec2;
-using glm::vec3;
-using glm::vec4;
-using glm::mat4;
-
 
 // TODO: add these props to scene json
 #define MOVE_SPEED 5.f
diff --git a/src/entity.cpp b/src/entity.cpp
index 7c8f7f5..a93f0aa 100644
--- a/src/entity.cpp
+++ b/src/entity.cpp
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ initEntity(Entity* e,
 {
 	e->num_meshes = mdl->num_meshes;
 	e->meshes = ARENA_ALLOC(arena, GLMesh, e->num_meshes);
-	e->model_xform = ARENA_ALLOC(arena, glm::mat4, 1);
-	*e->model_xform = glm::mat4(1.f);
+	e->model_xform = ARENA_ALLOC(arena, mat4, 1);
+	*e->model_xform = mat4(1.f);
 	e->name = arenaCopyCStr(arena, name);
 
 	if (mdl->diffuse_texture) {
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ initEntity(Entity* e,
 }
 
 void
-setEntityPosition(Entity* e, glm::vec3 pos)
+setEntityPosition(Entity* e, vec3 pos)
 {
 	(*e->model_xform)[3][0] = pos.x;
 	(*e->model_xform)[3][1] = pos.y;
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ setEntityPosition(Entity* e, glm::vec3 pos)
 }
 
 void
-rotateEntity(Entity* e, glm::vec3 axis, float radians)
+rotateEntity(Entity* e, vec3 axis, float radians)
 {
 	*e->model_xform = glm::rotate(*e->model_xform, radians, axis);
 }
@@ -63,6 +63,6 @@ void
 scaleEntity(Entity* e, float scale)
 {
 	*e->model_xform =
-		glm::scale(*e->model_xform, glm::vec3(scale, scale, scale));
+		glm::scale(*e->model_xform, vec3(scale, scale, scale));
 }
 
diff --git a/src/shader.cpp b/src/shader.cpp
index ead5ef3..d2f692f 100644
--- a/src/shader.cpp
+++ b/src/shader.cpp
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ updateGLBuffer(GLBuffer* gl_buf, void* data)
 
 void
 renderVAO(GLMesh* glmesh,
-	glm::mat4* node_xform,
+	mat4* node_xform,
 	ShaderProgram* shader,
 	GLTexture* gl_tex)
 {
@@ -308,8 +308,8 @@ initGLMesh(MemoryArena* arena,
 	glm.num_vertex_attrib_buffers = num_mappings;
 	glm .vertex_attrib_buffers = ARENA_ALLOC(arena, GLBuffer, num_mappings);
 	glm.element_buf = ARENA_ALLOC(arena, GLBuffer, 1);
-	glm.node_xform = ARENA_ALLOC(arena, glm::mat4, 1);
-	*glm.node_xform = glm::mat4(1);
+	glm.node_xform = ARENA_ALLOC(arena, mat4, 1);
+	*glm.node_xform = mat4(1);
 
 	return glm;
 }
diff --git a/src/tangerine.cpp b/src/tangerine.cpp
index f870f3c..43b23d8 100644
--- a/src/tangerine.cpp
+++ b/src/tangerine.cpp
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@
 #define UTIL_IMPLEMENTATION
 #include "util.h"
 
-using glm::vec4;
-
 
 // forward declarations
 
@@ -325,7 +323,7 @@ initGraphics(SDLHandles* handles, const char* title, uvec2 dims)
 LightsBuffer*
 initLights(RenderState* rs,
 	u32 max_lights,
-	glm::vec4 ambient_color)
+	vec4 ambient_color)
 {
 	// FIXME: revisit for 'Scene' abstraction
 	// FIXME: see if we can simplify this with the use of offsetof()
@@ -333,8 +331,8 @@ initLights(RenderState* rs,
 
 	LightsBuffer* lb = ARENA_ALLOC(rs->assets.arena, LightsBuffer, 1);
 	lb->buf_size = 8 * sizeof(u32) // NOTE: 'header'
-				+ sizeof(glm::vec4) // NOTE: ambient color
-				+ 6 * max_lights * sizeof(glm::vec4); // NOTE: vector arrays
+				+ sizeof(vec4) // NOTE: ambient color
+				+ 6 * max_lights * sizeof(vec4); // NOTE: vector arrays
 	LOGF(Debug, "buf_size: %d\n", lb->buf_size);
 	lb->buffer = ARENA_ALLOC(rs->assets.arena, u8, lb->buf_size);
 
@@ -355,23 +353,23 @@ initLights(RenderState* rs,
 	void* arr_start = arenaGetAddressOffset(lb->buffer, 8 * sizeof(u32));
 
 	// NOTE: ambient color
-	lb->ambient_color = (glm::vec4*) arr_start;
+	lb->ambient_color = (vec4*) arr_start;
 	*lb->ambient_color = ambient_color;
 
 	// NOTE: set offsets for array pointers
-	u32 arr_size = max_lights * sizeof(glm::vec4);
-	lb->pl_positions = //(glm::vec4*) arr_start;
-		(glm::vec4*) arenaGetAddressOffset(arr_start, sizeof(glm::vec4));
+	u32 arr_size = max_lights * sizeof(vec4);
+	lb->pl_positions = //(vec4*) arr_start;
+		(vec4*) arenaGetAddressOffset(arr_start, sizeof(vec4));
 	lb->pl_colors =
-		(glm::vec4*) arenaGetAddressOffset(lb->pl_positions, arr_size);
+		(vec4*) arenaGetAddressOffset(lb->pl_positions, arr_size);
 	lb->pl_intensities =
-		(glm::uvec4*) arenaGetAddressOffset(lb->pl_colors, arr_size);
+		(uvec4*) arenaGetAddressOffset(lb->pl_colors, arr_size);
 	lb->dl_directions =
-		(glm::vec4*) arenaGetAddressOffset(lb->pl_intensities, arr_size);
+		(vec4*) arenaGetAddressOffset(lb->pl_intensities, arr_size);
 	lb->dl_colors =
-		(glm::vec4*) arenaGetAddressOffset(lb->dl_directions, arr_size);
+		(vec4*) arenaGetAddressOffset(lb->dl_directions, arr_size);
 	lb->dl_intensities =
-		(glm::uvec4*) arenaGetAddressOffset(lb->dl_colors, arr_size);
+		(uvec4*) arenaGetAddressOffset(lb->dl_colors, arr_size);
 
 	initGLBackingBuffer(rs->gl_ctx,
 						rs->assets.arena,