diff --git a/Project.toml b/Project.toml
index 2cf071f..e51499c 100644
--- a/Project.toml
+++ b/Project.toml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ version = "0.2.4"
 CFTime = "179af706-886a-5703-950a-314cd64e0468"
 Dates = "ade2ca70-3891-5945-98fb-dc099432e06a"
 DataStructures = "864edb3b-99cc-5e75-8d2d-829cb0a9cfe8"
+DiskArrays = "3c3547ce-8d99-4f5e-a174-61eb10b00ae3"
 Printf = "de0858da-6303-5e67-8744-51eddeeeb8d7"
 Preferences = "21216c6a-2e73-6563-6e65-726566657250"
 
@@ -17,4 +18,5 @@ Preferences = "21216c6a-2e73-6563-6e65-726566657250"
 julia = "1.6"
 Preferences = "1.3"
 DataStructures = "0.17, 0.18"
+DiskArrays = "0.3"
 CFTime = "0.1.1"
diff --git a/src/CommonDataModel.jl b/src/CommonDataModel.jl
index 8cf04ef..504f841 100644
--- a/src/CommonDataModel.jl
+++ b/src/CommonDataModel.jl
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ using Printf
 using Preferences
 import Base: isopen, show, display, close
 using DataStructures
+import DiskArrays: AbstractDiskArray, readblock!, writeblock!, haschunks, eachchunk
+using DiskArrays: GridChunks, Unchunked
+using DiskArrays: @implement_diskarray
 
 """
 
diff --git a/src/cfvariable.jl b/src/cfvariable.jl
index 120e134..6828680 100644
--- a/src/cfvariable.jl
+++ b/src/cfvariable.jl
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ mutable struct CFVariable{T,N,TV,TA,TSA}  <: AbstractVariable{T, N}
     _storage_attrib::TSA
 end
 
+@implement_diskarray CFVariable
+
 """
     sz = size(var::CFVariable)
 
@@ -384,43 +386,49 @@ end
 @inline CFinvtransformdata(data::Char,fv,scale_factor,add_offset,time_origin,time_factor,DT) = CFtransform_replace_missing(data,fv)
 
 
-function Base.getindex(v::CFVariable,
+function readblock!(v::CFVariable, aout,
                        indexes::Union{Int,Colon,AbstractRange{<:Integer}}...)
-    data = v.var[indexes...]
-    return CFtransformdata(data,fill_and_missing_values(v),scale_factor(v),add_offset(v),
+    rawdata = getindex(v.var, indexes...)
+    aout .= CFtransformdata(rawdata,fill_and_missing_values(v),scale_factor(v),add_offset(v),
                            time_origin(v),time_factor(v),eltype(v))
 end
 
-function Base.setindex!(v::CFVariable,data::Array{Missing,N},indexes::Union{Int,Colon,AbstractRange{<:Integer}}...) where N
-    v.var[indexes...] = fill(fillvalue(v),size(data))
+function writeblock!(v::CFVariable,data::Array{Missing,N},indexes::Union{Int,Colon,AbstractRange{<:Integer}}...) where N
+    transformed = fill(fillvalue(v), size(data))
+    setindex!(v.var, transformed, indexes...)
+    return transformed
 end
 
-function Base.setindex!(v::CFVariable,data::Missing,indexes::Union{Int,Colon,AbstractRange{<:Integer}}...)
-    v.var[indexes...] = fillvalue(v)
+function writeblock!(v::CFVariable,data::Missing,indexes::Union{Int,Colon,AbstractRange{<:Integer}}...)
+    transformed = fillvalue(v)
+    setindex!(v.var, transformed, indexes...)
+    return transformed
 end
 
-function Base.setindex!(v::CFVariable,data::Union{T,Array{T,N}},indexes::Union{Int,Colon,AbstractRange{<:Integer}}...) where N where T <: Union{AbstractCFDateTime,DateTime,Union{Missing,DateTime,AbstractCFDateTime}}
+function writeblock!(v::CFVariable,data::Union{T,Array{T,N}},indexes::Union{Int,Colon,AbstractRange{<:Integer}}...) where N where T <: Union{AbstractCFDateTime,DateTime,Union{Missing,DateTime,AbstractCFDateTime}}
 
     if calendar(v) !== nothing
         # can throw an convertion error if calendar attribute already exists and
         # is incompatible with the provided data
-        v.var[indexes...] = CFinvtransformdata(
+        transformed = CFinvtransformdata(
             data,fill_and_missing_values(v),scale_factor(v),add_offset(v),
             time_origin(v),time_factor(v),eltype(v.var))
-        return data
+        setindex!(v.var, transformed, indexes...)
+        return transformed
     end
 
     @error "Time units and calendar must be defined during defVar and cannot change"
 end
 
 
-function Base.setindex!(v::CFVariable,data,indexes::Union{Int,Colon,AbstractRange{<:Integer}}...)
-    v.var[indexes...] = CFinvtransformdata(
+function writeblock!(v::CFVariable,data,indexes::Union{Int,Colon,AbstractRange{<:Integer}}...)
+    transformed = CFinvtransformdata(
         data,fill_and_missing_values(v),
         scale_factor(v),add_offset(v),
         time_origin(v),time_factor(v),eltype(v.var))
+    setindex!(v.var, transformed, indexes...)
 
-    return data
+    return transformed
 end
 
 
diff --git a/src/variable.jl b/src/variable.jl
index 3e35104..3e043b5 100644
--- a/src/variable.jl
+++ b/src/variable.jl
@@ -150,6 +150,12 @@ function dataset(v::AbstractVariable)
     error("unimplemented for abstract type")
 end
 
+function Base.parent(var::AbstractVariable)
+    error("unimplemented for abstract type")
+end
+
+eachchunk(A::AbstractVariable) = GridChunks(A, size(A))
+haschunks(A::AbstractVariable) = Unchunked()
 
 function Base.show(io::IO,v::AbstractVariable)
     level = get(io, :level, 0)