datum

A datum is most typically thought of as a point of reference, a key, defining figure that pulls together design elements into a unified whole. Although it can be composed of multiple elements, the datum acts as a singular, easily recognizable feature. Importantly, the term datum itself can refer to a variety of things that fit this description; it could be a plane or surface, a specific mass or space, an organizational grid, or even something like the horizon line. This can have a multitude of interesting applications for a wide variety of projects. Wilkinson Eyre's Gasholder Apartments, for example, provides an interesting application for a datum in terms of reuse, centering a modern apartment development around the central cylindrical forms of abandoned industrial structures.