Construction of flats, apartments or multistoried buildings are the most difficult to build according to Vastu Shastra. For building them several rules have been laid out.
•The first requirement for building an apartment or flat is selecting a plot. This should either be square or rectangular. Its South-East corner should not have any extension. In case there is a separation on the land it needs to be separated. The space of the separated extension can be used for various purposes like tree plantation, gardening, playground, outhouse, lumber room and health club.
•This plot should have a road on the North or on the East or on the both sides. The road to the West is permissible but there should not be any in the South direction. If there is a road in the South direction the compound gate should be in the South - South-East.
•The apartments or buildings should not be L shaped. If the building is L shaped, it should be to the South and to the West of the entire plot. Maximum open space towards the East and the North of the plot is also an important requirement. There should be a distance of 5 to 10 feet between the vertical and horizontal rows of the flats.
•The South should always be free of any obstacles. Hence never construct apartment or flat building in this direction. It is more advantageous to construct the C shaped building and keep the maximum open space towards the East and the North. Even open space towards the West is also tolerable.
•To have the main gate in the North - North-East, East - North-East, West - North West, or in the East, North and West will prove beneficial. The main entrance should never be in the South, South-West, West - South-West, North, North-West or East - South-East directions.
•In front of the main entrance, either on the road or within the plot, electric poles, trees, temples, water-tanks, septic tanks or any kind of constructions should not be there. These are called "Dvar - Vedha" and therefore are undesirable.
•Many units within the apartments building, such as, the stair for the overhead tank, balcony, underground water tank, cistern, electric meter room, tap-connection, septic tank, drainage pipe, parking and outhouse should not be constructed without consulting a Vastu Shastra expert.
•The slope of the plot should either be towards the East, the North or the North-East. It should never be towards the South or the West. It can also be rectified by filling it with earth.
•If the plot has two roads, one to the East and the other to West, then the road to the East should be lower than the one in the West. Similarly if there are two roads one to the South and the other to the North, the road to the South should higher than the one in the North direction.
•The open space around the apartment building should be more in the East and the North. In the Southern direction the open space should be the least.
•In the North - East corner of South there should not be any kind of structures. Hence watchman`s cabin, out house, electric meter room or even tall trees need to be avoided. There should only be open space and nothing else. But it can be used for underground water reservoir, boring and well.
•Ideally the balconies should be located in the East and the North directions. Balconies to the West are also preferable. But the balconies should never face the Southern direction. It is always advisable that the balconies remain open. But if they had to be closed the preferable option are the grills. Vastu Shastra advises that heavy objects should not be kept in the balconies. Pots for storing water can be kept here. This move will prove beneficial. Water should not be stored in the balconies which are in the East - South -East corners.
•Staircases in the apartments or flats should be in the South West, South and the West. As an alternative staircases in the North West and the South East are also acceptable. According to Vastu Shastra staircases towards the North - East, the East and the North should be avoided.
•Overhead tank of the apartment or flat building should be located in the West. It should never leak if it is to be built in the South West. The tank should not be very high if it is to the North West. the North - East or South - East corners are not at all appropriate for placing them. While an overhead tank to the East may cause unpopularity one in the North may result in economic loss. An overhead tank to the South is permissible only if it does not leak.
•A high compound wall in the place where the auspicious Vithishula meets the apartment building is completely undesirable.
•Proper leveling of the ground needs to be done by the builder before he starts the actual construction of the proposed apartment building. The first step towards construction is the Bhumi Puja. Once it is done an auspicious date and time should be determined to start digging and other constructional work. When the constructional and coloring work of the entire building is over the Vastushanti function can be held in the South - East corner of any room of the groundfloor. This ceremony is essential and beneficial to both, the builder as well as the flat holder. The owners of the flats can also arrange for similar ceremonies when they are shifting to the flats for the first time.
