diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/svgLib/path/shapes.py b/Lib/fontTools/svgLib/path/shapes.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..041f59c56
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/svgLib/path/shapes.py
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+def _PreferNonZero(*args):
+  for arg  in args:
+    if arg != 0:
+      return arg
+  return 0
+
+# TODO float movement
+class PathBuilder(object):
+  def __init__(self):
+    self.pathes = []
+
+  def StartPath(self):
+    self.pathes.append('')
+
+  def _Add(self, path_snippet):
+    path = self.pathes[-1]
+    if path:
+      path += ' ' + path_snippet
+    else:
+      path = path_snippet
+    self.pathes[-1] =  path
+
+  def _move(self, c, x, y):
+    self._Add('%s%d,%d' % (c, x, y))
+
+  def M(self, x, y):
+    self._move('M', x, y)
+
+  def m(self, x, y):
+    self._move('m', x, y)
+
+  def _arc(self, c, rx, ry, x, y):
+    self._Add('%s%d %d 0 0 1 %d %d' % (c, rx, ry, x, y))
+
+  def A(self, rx, ry, x, y):
+    self._arc('A', rx, ry, x, y)
+
+  def a(self, rx, ry, x, y):
+    self._arc('a', rx, ry, x, y)
+
+  def _vhline(self, c, x):
+    self._Add('%s%d' % (c, x))
+
+  def H(self, x):
+    self._vhline('H', x)
+
+  def h(self, x):
+    self._vhline('h', x)
+
+  def V(self, y):
+    self._vhline('V', y)
+
+  def v(self, x):
+    self._vhline('v', y)
+
+  def Rect(self, rect):
+    # TODO what format(s) do these #s come in?
+    x = float(rect.attrib.get('x', 0))
+    y = float(rect.attrib.get('x', 0))
+    w = float(rect.attrib.get('width'))
+    h = float(rect.attrib.get('height'))
+    rx = float(rect.attrib.get('rx', 0))
+    ry = float(rect.attrib.get('ry', 0))
+    rx = _PreferNonZero(rx, ry)
+    ry = _PreferNonZero(ry, rx)
+    # TODO there are more rules for adjusting rx, ry
+    self.StartPath()
+    self.M(x + rx, y)
+    self.H(x + w -rx)
+    if rx > 0:
+      self.A(rx, ry, x + w, y + ry)
+    self.V(x + h -ry)
+    if rx > 0:
+      self.A(rx, ry, x + w, y + ry)
+    self.H(x + rx)
+    if rx > 0:
+      self.A(rx, ry, x, y + h - ry)
+    self.V(y + ry)
diff --git a/Tests/svgLib/path/shapes_test.py b/Tests/svgLib/path/shapes_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a9386152a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/svgLib/path/shapes_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+from __future__ import print_function, absolute_import, division
+
+from fontTools.misc.py23 import *
+from fontTools.pens.recordingPen import RecordingPen
+from fontTools.svgLib.path import shapes
+from fontTools.misc import etree
+import pytest
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "rect, expected_path",
+    [
+        # minimal valid example
+        (
+            "<rect width='1' height='1'/>",
+            "M0,0 H1 V1 H0 V0",
+        )
+    ]
+)
+def test_rect_to_path(rect, expected_path):
+    pb = shapes.PathBuilder()
+    pb.Rect(etree.fromstring(rect))
+    assert pb.pathes == [expected_path]