North facing house Vastu plan
North facing is the most sought-after direction in Indian Vastu, because north is Kubera — the direction of wealth — and because a north opening gives even, glare-free daylight all year. It is also the easiest facing to plan well, provided the entrance lands in the right part of the north wall.
What counts as north facing
Facing is decided by the direction you look when you walk out of the main door. If you step out and face north, it is a north facing house — regardless of which way the plot is longer.
On a north facing plot, the road is to the north and the main door sits in the north wall. The strongest position for that door is the north-east stretch of the wall — not the north-west corner, which is the one part of a north wall Vastu treats as weak.
Room placement for a north facing house
| Room | Best zone | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Main entrance | North, towards the north-east | Kubera pada; brings in morning light |
| Living / hall | North and north-east | Right behind the entry, gets the best light |
| Pooja room | North-east (Ishanya) | Purest zone; face east or north while praying |
| Kitchen | South-east (Agni) | Fire zone; cook facing east |
| Master bedroom | South-west (Nairutya) | Heaviest, most grounded corner |
| Children / guest bedroom | North-west or west | Vayavya suits movement and short stays |
| Dining | West or centre-west | Between kitchen and hall |
| Toilets | North-west or west | Never in the north-east or south-west |
| Staircase | South, south-west or west | Clockwise going up |
| Overhead tank | South-west or west | Heavy load belongs on the heavy side |
| Underground sump | North-east or north | Water element zone |
Getting the north-east right
The single rule that matters most on a north facing plot is to keep the north-east light and open. That means more setback on the north-east than anywhere else, lower compound wall height on the north, the biggest windows on that side, and no toilet, staircase or storeroom anywhere in that quadrant.
- Slope the plot and the terrace drainage towards the north-east.
- Keep the north-east corner of the compound free — no tank, no car porch, no tall tree.
- If you have a garden, put it on the north or east side.
- Heavier mass, taller walls and storage go to the south and west.
Check your own plan against this
Open the plan editor, set your plot size and the facing, and the Vastu checker marks each zone on the sheet — green where the room matches the convention, amber where it is borderline, red where it is wrong — with the reason written out next to it. Move the wall, and the check updates as you drag.
A note on how to use this
Vastu Shastra is a traditional Indian system of directional planning, not a building code. Plenty of its rules line up neatly with good tropical design — a south-east kitchen gets morning sun and keeps afternoon heat away from the living room, a north-east opening brings in soft light, heavy mass on the south-west shades the house through the hottest hours. Others are purely traditional.
Treat the checker in the editor the same way a structural engineer treats a rule of thumb: it tells you what the convention says, quickly, so you can decide what to follow and what to trade away. It will never stop you drawing the plan you want.
Frequently asked questions
Is a north facing house good as per Vastu?
Yes. North is governed by Kubera and is considered one of the two most auspicious facings along with east. Practically, a north facing house also gets soft indirect light through the day, which is why it is preferred in hot Indian climates.
Where should the main door be in a north facing house?
In the north wall, towards its north-east end. Avoid placing it in the extreme north-west corner of that wall.
Where should the kitchen be in a north facing house?
South-east, with the cooking platform so you face east while cooking. If the south-east is not available, north-west is the accepted alternative.
Can the toilet be in the north in a north facing house?
Not in the north-east. A toilet in the north-west, or the west portion of the north wall, is acceptable. The north-east must stay clear.