Window Guide · Delhi
North-facing Kitchen
North is not the traditional Vastu placement for a kitchen, but the room remains usable. Window design + simple remedies neutralise the directional bias.
The recommendation
These figures are advisory — drawn from IS 3792 (Composite zone) and Vastu Shastra teaching tradition. An architect should adapt them to your plot's exact bearing, plinth height and facade design.
Why this direction for a kitchen?
Kitchen windows must extract cooking smoke and steam (so an exhaust-fan window over the cooktop is non-negotiable), let in morning light when the kitchen sees dawn use, and ideally allow a glance at the entry / dining area for family interaction while cooking.
The wealth-and-treasury direction. Cool, light-filled, the welcoming face of the home.
Vastu's ideal placement for a kitchen is SE. North is outside the traditional band, though with simple remedies the room works well.
Why Delhi's climate matters
Delhi is in the Composite climate zone (Cwa, Cfa per the Köppen scale; Composite per NBC 2016). Summer temperatures: 35-48°C, winters: 2-15°C. Rainfall: 500-1200 mm/year. Humidity: 20-90% (seasonal).
Operable windows matter more than fixed ones. The same opening that bleeds heat in January welcomes it back in July.
For a north face in this climate, the recommendation is a sliding 2t window with clear glazing and a sill at 2.5' — calibrated for hot summers, cold winters, and seasonal monsoon.
Common mistakes
- Sink directly below the window — splashing wets the wall and corrodes the sill
- No exhaust window over the cooktop — steam damages the ceiling
- South-facing kitchen window with no shading — afternoon heat compounds the cooking heat
- Treating North placement as a hard error — it's not. The room remains usable; a small Vastu remedy (heavy furniture on the SE wall, mirror placement away from the bed) handles the directional refinement.