The use of Vaastu in a contemporary setting is carried out based on a set of fundamentals:

• Name and statistical data of the client, including size of family, future growth, budget for the building. Flow chart of activities and location of facilities.
• Special needs such as family rooms, equipment rooms, gymnasium, study and others.
• Area break-up.
• Tentative scheme.
• Tentative costing.

A well-organized house which has all the right storage spaces and support systems cannot become a home, and cannot create a unique environment for a specific family. For this 'uniqueness', aesthetics, and comfort to take place in a design, there are a few pointers that we can take from the traditional concepts for design. The tradition of vaastu speaks of five important processes of design. They are: ecosensitivity, philosophy of design, understanding of building materials, knowledge of aesthetics and the comprehension of energy fields.

• The traditional designer must become aware of the larger ecosystem within which the building is being built. He/She must study the land, its lay, its terrain, the quality of vegetation existing on it, the surrounding buildings, and street character, to come up with a design suitable for the specific location. A building that does not blend with its neighbors is considered 'interesting' today but traditionally this would be discarded as a meaningless egotistic statement, which disrupts the harmony of a neighbourhood.

• The designer must become familiar with the lifestyle and nature of the family so as to evolve a philosophy of design. For example, an introverted house with its internal courtyard or garden has a different ambience from one which which is more open to its environment. The design style adopted would change according to the particular philosophical belief. This can be taken as an essential ingredient for the contemporary design process when houses are beginning to either resemble boxes or museums.

• Whether using simple materials like earth and sun-dried bricks, or high-cost materials like brick, stone and concrete, the designer must comprehend the nature of materials, their location in a larger context, and attempt to create harmony in the mind of the user. This is true for both colour and form. A building may look arresting when it combines an octagonal form of design with stone walls and purple leather or inner walls, but the negative effect on the user would be incalculable.

• Form, space, colour, light and shade must all be juxtaposed to create a pleasing ambience. This aesthetics, the tradition says, is created out of a rhythmic design methodology. Whether in the plan or in the elevation, the built space is divided into modules, which are always in balance with each other. The effect of such a rhythm on the psyche of the occupant would be beneficial, healing and enriching. The smallest element in the space (whether a piece of furniture or a column) would be a fraction of the width or height of the room.

Facilities within the house should also be located in such a way as to create an energy field that is beneficial to the occupant.