After obtaining a plot, the next step is to plan the placement of the house upon the land. In order to access nature's auspicious energies, the home and other structures must be optimally placed. Vastu separates the plot into four quadrants; northwest, northeast, southeast, and southwest. Each quadrant is associated with one of the four fundamental elements; air, fire, water, and earth. Thus, Vastu prescribes a specific usage for each quadrant of the plot. This presentation aims to describe this phenomenon and shed light upon the subtle energies which profoundly affect our lives.

First I will describe the attributes of the four quadrants.

The northwest quadrant is assigned to the air element. The air element is primarily associated with movement. This is an optimal location for food storage, a garage, car parking, a stable, or a shed. Keeping the area in the northwest open allows for the wind and the air element. If this corner is closed, it may have a negative influence on one's business transactions. An out-house constructed in this area should not be too large and should have a minimum distance of two to three feet from any wall.

The northeast quadrant is assigned to the water element. The water element is primarily associated with feeling and emotion. This is the most suitable area for a fountain, a swimming pool, a pond, or a garden. A water tank or a well should not be located directly in front of the entrance, rather on either side of the entrance. A well should not be placed directly on the plot's northeast to southwest diagonal, it should be located either to the left or right of that diagonal. Anything with water is auspicious in the northeast, because the water absorbs and reflects the highly beneficial ultraviolet rays of the sun. Drinking water which has been energized by the rays of the sun supplies the human body's cells with biophotons which are an important health giving sector of the light spectrum. The open space in the north and east is ideal for a garden, and the sitting benches therein should be located in the west and south with a view to the north and east.

The southeast quadrant is assigned to the fire element. The fire element is primarily associated with heat and light. This area is best suited for out-buildings with technical or electrical systems that contain the fire element. Water and fire are not compatible so there should be no water storage in this area. Similarly, there should be no electrical or fire-related systems in the northeast. Out-buildings in the southeast must be at least three feet away from any wall. Keeping the southeast area open enhances the fire element by connecting with the sunlight's infrared rays. In the area around the house, there should be more open space in the north and east than in the south and west. This open space will allow the house to receive the beneficial morning sunshine, and also all of the auspicious influences coming from the northern and eastern directions.

The southwest quadrant is assigned to the earth element. The earth element is primarily associated with stability. This is the best place for the main building or house. Any water storage, water pipes, or wet walls should be avoided in this area. The southwest corner should remain heavy and closed, while the other three corners should remain light and open. If the northwest, northeast, and southeast are closed with buildings, extensions, tall trees, and so on, then the inflow of positive energies will be blocked and negative energies will enter.