• Orientation of the site towards North or East is preferred in general. But other directions are also acceptable.
  
  
• Building orientation should always be towards cardinal directions. Here also any direction is acceptable but commonly North or East are preferred by majority.
  
  
• Placement of entrance for both site and building is very important. The following shall be considered:
  
  
  Northern entrance - in second quarter from east
  Eastern entrance - in second quarter from north
  Southern entrance - in second quarter from east
  Western entrance - in second quarter from north
  
  

  Doors should be provided in axis with the main door of the house up to the rear door. Particularly Main door on south or west must have doors to follow in axis up to the rear door. Staggered axis is acceptable provided a window or a niche or a mirror is in axis with the main door.
  
  

  Opposite windows, doors or openings should be perfect alignment with one another without any door or window jambs staggered to the middle of the other.
  
  

  Buildings or the site should not have offsets or set backs, chamfered or rounded corners on the Northeast and Southwest corners.
  
  

  Sites with wider front side than the rear side is not good for residential buildings but very suitable for commercial outlets.
  
  

  For any building or site the diagonal from Northeast to Southwest should be longer than that from Northwest to Southeast.
  
  

  Proportion of the spaces are important than the measurements and the ratio between length and width of any room shall be between 1:1.5 to 1:1.75 and the most beautiful Golden rectangle proportion is 1:1.616
  
  

  The measurements specified in vasthu are genetically derived and vary according to the latitude of the location reflecting a proportion in scale with proportion of the physique of the people of the races in that location. For example proportion of the African race is much larger than the Mongolian race which is different from Indian race and the scale of measurement has to be varying. The present day universal measure of 12” to a foot need not be suitable for every one. But for those to follow the measurements specified in the books, the measurements are to be checked for outer dimensions than the inner ones. It could be followed for the inner also for the comfort of satisfaction. But the proportion ratio is very important for the inner measurements.
  
  

  More open space within the site on the Northern side than the Southern side of the building and on the Eastern side than the Western side.
  
  

  Building parts touching the eastern and northern site boundaries are to be avoided.
  
  

  Preferably the exact centre of the building shall preferably be kept open.
  
  

  The following could be considered for the location of various rooms in the houses:
  
  

  YES		NO
  Study room, Office room, Pooja or Prayer Room, Verandahs, Sit outs or Balcony, Basement rooms, Water sumps	Northeastern quadrant	Toilets, Store or Lumber rooms, Bedrooms, Septic Tanks, Overhead tanks, Staircase
  Master Bedroom, Store or Lumber room, Safe room Pooja, Staircase	Southwestern quadrant	Kitchen, Toilets, Office or Study rooms, Basement Rooms, Septic Tanks, Under ground Water Sumps
  Kitchen, Toilets, Utility, Staircase	Southeastern quadrant	Bedrooms, Study or Office rooms, Safe rooms
  Bedrooms, Toilets, Utility, Pooja, Study or Office rooms, Staircase, Kitchen	Northwestern quadrant	--

  
  

  The names associated with the respective corners:
  
  

  Northeast - Easanyam (Corner for Water element) - Source of energy

  Southwest - Niruthi (Corner for Earth element) - Storage of energy

  Northwest - Vayu (Corner for Air element)

  Southeast - Agni (Corner for Fire element)

  Centre - Brahmasthan

For more information, please contact:

N. Ramalingam B.Arch.
Ramy Associates, Madurai
ramyassociates@gmail.com