Shortage in floor area is the main compulsion behind building an attic in a house. Thus, apart from proper utilization of space, ample storing room is available in the form of attic to store unused goods. In a house, an attic can be given in the down south or the extreme west direction and also in the south-west corner.

CATTLE SHED

GAUSHALA DARSHINATASHCHOTTARDESHE TU PASHUPVAHI SYAT||

That is, cattle shed should be built in the south and the garden in the north.

ROOM FOR THE AGED PEOPLE

Aged people require peaceful and serene atmosphere in which they could live healthy, undisturbed with no encroachment upon their honour. Also no interruption should occur in their regular worship and other routine tasks.

PURV DVAROPARANTE PASCHIM STAPA SAVASAM||

That is the aged ones who are now retired from the active life must occupy a room near the eastern gate of the house or in the extreme west so that they can enjoy good health. Space between the central part and the north-eastern corner of the house is also suitable for the staying of aged people.

APARTMENTS AND FLATS

Apartments and the flats is now a very common sight in the big cities, thanks to the population explosion.

These buildings are populated by a large number of people within a limited space. Besides such constructions are also proving economical while maximum utilization of the space is achieved.

Here again, while building multistoried apartments and flats, attention must be paid to the plot of land and its location. East facing and north facing plots are excellent for such types of construction. But it should be noted that it is not possible to apply each and every principle of VAASTU Shastra to the construction of apartments and flats. Still it is necessary to excavate unwanted buried matter from the earth and follow common VAASTU principles.

1. Principles regarding the land are equally applicable everywhere. Hence selection of land and excavation of unwanted buried matter must be conducted as per the dictates of VAASTU Shastra.
2. Height of the last storey must necessarily be somewhat less than that of the first storey.
3. Open space must be left all around the building. There should be more open space in the north and the east while in the west and the south it should be maximum.
4. Main gate must be given in the north or in the east.
5. Rectangular plot must be selected to build multistorey buildings. Such a shape of plot provides more common facilities and easy and better flow of traffic.
6. Slope of the land must be given in the north-eastern direction.
7. Car parking and common lawn etc. should be developed in the north-eastern direction.
8. While building multistoried flats, big hotels or cinema halls, ample open space must be given in front of the building. Two separate gates should be provided for the entry and exit.
9. Design of multistoried buildings should be such that the inmates of the lower floors could also get sufficient sun and fresh air.
10. Lift must be provided near the staircase in the multistoried buildings. Stairs should have a dextral rotation.
11. Water storage tank must be installed in the north-eastern corner of the roof in the multistoried buildings. Borewell can be used as a source of water. Drainage must be covered.
12. South-western corner of a multistorey building should be higher the rest of the constructions.
13. Each flat on every floor in a multistorey building should be provided with enough ventilators and windows.
14. Kitchen in each flat must be given in the south-east corner.
15. Toilet and bathroom in each flat must be built in the south-west corner or in the south direction.
16. Length and breadth of each flat should be exactly equal i.e. the flat should preferably have a square shape.
17. Generator, electric switchboards, transformer etc. should be installed outside the apartments in the south-eastern corner.
18. There should be no plants or trees exactly in front of the main gate. If you wish, you may plant basil and sandal in an open space.
19. Playground and garden should be developed in the north or in the east of the apartment.
20. Balconies too should be provided in the north or in the east.
21. Security room must be built in the north or in the south.
22. Apartments should not be painted in black, sky blue or red colours.

Thus even if half the principles of VAASTU Shastra are followed in the construction of apartments, far greater benefit can be achieved for the inmates to pass their lives peacefully.

HOUSES WITH COMMON WALLS

Houses with common walls are also common in big cities. The greatest benefit with these houses is that their construction is cheaper and easier while every inch of the space is used properly. But principles of VAASTU Shastra can not be followed in these houses, which leads to many kinds of problems.

Above figure shows two patterns on which house with common walls can be built. In the pattern where back wall of the houses H2 and H1 are common, H1 has an east facing entrance. So, H2 will compulsively have a west facing entrance and hence will not be able to trap sufficient sun. In the second pattern, houses H3 and H4 have a common sidewall. Their north facing entrances also comply to the principles of VAASTU Shastras. But there should be no community land in the north then.

If there is way in the south only, H2 will again have a faulty orientation with drainage in the south. Whereas inhabitants of H1 will enjoy all the benefits due to east facing entrance provided that no through fare passes along their entrance. Occupants of H1 cannot have their drainage in the east as well. Still they will be able to reap the benefits of direct sun and breeze of the east.

Houses with common walls are also not able to reap the full benefits of every auspicious and open direction.

Such houses should not have a common back wall. It causes serious obstacles. They should not have the entrance towards the right hand side, as it is also an obstacle. Thus houses with common wall are far from perfection according to the principles of VAASTU Shastra. As a result, the inhabitants or the occupants of such houses suffer every now and then from this kind of problem or that.

ROW HOUSES

Row houses are in a way an extension of houses with common sidewalls. In such pattern of housing, all the houses except those situated at the extreme ends share their sidewalls with one another. These houses prove extremely economical. Let's now discuss the merits and demerits linked with row houses.

TABLE

The above figure shows a common pattern of row housing. All the houses from H2 to H5 have both of their sidewalls common with their immediate neighbours. Only H1 and H6 have only one of the sidewalls common with their neighbours while enjoying open space on the other side. Thus, houses in row housing pattern have the benefits of two common walls but at the same time both their sides are covered. Thus the inhabitants in row houses get the benefits of only two directions. More than often, they have only one open direction at their disposal. If that open direction happens to be the south, their houses compulsorily have the drainage in that direction. Such an arrangement proves inauspicious according to VAASTU Shastra. In the figure, house number 6 gets the benefit of open east direction. Similarly house number 1 has an open west direction. But all the other houses situated in the middle part of the row have no way but face in the south. If some people on community basis agree to build their houses in a row, they should follow the principles of VAASTU Shastra though partially to avert havoc.

1. Number of houses in a row must be even. In VAASTU Shastra even number is considered as auspicious.
2. According to ancient VAASTU Shastra, one platform in the house is forbidden. Similarly a house should not have only one pillar.
3. Three entrances should not fall in a single line.
4. Number of stairs should also be even in a house.
5. Number of houses in a row should not be 4 or 13 for as per numerology, digit 4 belongs to Rahu.
6. If a house in a row-housing pattern is covered in the auspicious direction, it compulsively has to have its entrance in the south or in the west. Such orientation of the entrance is not good as per VAASTU Shastra, yet there are a few exceptions.

• South facing entrance is auspicious for Cancerian and Capriconian people.
• Sagittarian, Geminian and Libran people can live happily in houses with west facing entrances.
• People belonging to other zodiac signs should better have the entrances to their houses in the east or the north.