ABSTRACT
Even in musical composition, according to the classical tradition, pieces have a home key from which the music begins and to which it returns; it is to that key that all melody and harmony in a piece relate, even though they might sometimes wander away from it. Architecture is as rich a creative field as any. And, as in all creative fields, there is no one right way to do things. Sometimes, maybe for fun or for protection, withholding a datum – making people feel lost – can be good. Datum places are an important component in urban situations: every village needs its green; every city its forum, piazza, square or main street. The datum place has been part of the universal language of domestic architecture for many centuries. A datum place is a nub. It is a hub from which the spokes of other places radiate.
