Showcase 2025 Student Spotlight: Nanfe Lar
Student Spotlight featuring BArch Architecture student, Nanfe Lar and her project 'Into the Void'.
Published on 27 March 2025
Categories: Student Showcase; School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment;
The Project
Into the Void explores the journey through grief via an urban monastery that serves as both a crematorium and a sanctuary for families dealing with loss. This proposal aims to provide a space where grief can be processed and understood through a series of designed experiences.
The design mirrors the nonlinear and unique process of grief, guiding souls from the depths of anger and depression to the heights of hope and acceptance. It offers a literal and figurative journey through grief, helping users feel the depth of their loss and focus on their emotions in the present, rather than pushing them to the side.
The monastery stands as a tranquil retreat for grieving families with Vacuums of Grieving. These spaces slowly draw visitors in and then release them, allowing an emergence into light. Each vacuum, transitional space, is designed to facilitate different stages of grief. The sanctuary begins with an ascent into darkness, symbolising the initial stages of grief that passes through anger and depression, and gradually transitions to light, representing hope and acceptance. This journey is interwoven with various paths and routes, allowing one to get lost in the labyrinth of mourning. The experience culminates in a ceremony celebrating the life of the loved one. One final stage remains – water cremation. Here, the departed can complete this cycle of life, returning to nature as purified liquid, while the family retains the ashes.
One cannot quantify or qualify the feeling of grief through a building, but this sanctuary aims to assist its users in understanding their grief by providing a space where the loss can be mourned and celebrated.
Nanfe's project envisages an environment that enables a cathartic journey through grief.
The inspiration behind the project
Nanfe's primary inspiration behind this project was a flower pot - a vessel of possibilities. It serves as both a reminder of the past and a marker for the future. This simple object holds memories from a lonely first year’s journey into architecture and university, offering a sense of comfort through its familiar form. The grooves worn into its surface by fingers running over it tell a quiet story. More than just an object, it represents the potential to create space - an escape, a place of solitude, a world apart.
From this vessel, an exploration of voids began. Initially, Nanfe examined physical voids - spaces carved from the ground - before shifting to figurative voids, particularly those found in human emotions. Some emotions, in their intensity, consume and hollow out their host. Grief, in particular, embodies this paradox: it is an overwhelming experience that simultaneously fills a person with emotions yet leaves them feeling empty and numb.
This project seeks to guide individuals through grief in a controlled environment, allowing them to confront and process their emotions deeply but without being left in a state of emptiness. By immersing one in the void temporarily, the journey through grief becomes a cathartic experience - one that ultimately allows for healing rather than lingering emptiness.
Nanfe wanted to design spaces that evoke emotion, inspire, and create meaningful experiences.
The project experience
Nanfe says that her project has encouraged her to experiment creatively - engaging with new ideas, materials, and modes of communication that she had not previously considered. This exploration has deepened her passion for the discipline, moving beyond the fundamentals to design spaces that evoke emotion, inspire, and create meaningful experiences.
"For me, the most fulfilling outcome has been realising that architecture is not just about function but about the human experience. As designers, we shape the environments where life unfolds. We create the stage for humanity’s most profound moments. This project, in particular, has given me the opportunity to explore one of the most poignant and universal experiences - grief - allowing me to design a space that helps people navigate and process their emotions. I am deeply grateful for this journey and the perspective it has given me on the power of architecture."
Nanfe Lar - BArch (Hons) Architecture
Being part of NTU
Nanfe says: "My time at NTU has been an enriching and transformative experience. I have gained a strong foundation in technical, practical, and theoretical knowledge, shaping me into a well-rounded designer. Through my studies, I have explored various physical and digital communication methods, experimenting with new mediums, tools, and machinery. From woodworking and pottery to physical model-making, graphic software, web design, and more, I have developed a diverse skill set that has expanded my creative and technical capabilities.
"Beyond the hands-on skills, NTU has given me the opportunity to engage in thought-provoking discussions during seminars, challenging me to consider the broader impact of architecture on the world. This multidisciplinary approach - bridging philosophy, art, science, and technology - has deepened my understanding of how design influences and is influenced by society. A highlight of my journey was the opportunity to showcase my work at the Art Exhibit of the RIBA President-elect, presenting in front of the mayor - an experience that reinforced the significance of architectural discourse and public engagement.
From wading through the rain at Yorkshire Sculpture Park to admiring the grandeur of Oxford on crisp winter days, and standing in awe of Canterbury and Lincoln’s cathedrals, my time at NTU has been filled with experiences that have broadened my perspective on architecture’s vast possibilities."
Closing remarks
Nanfe says: "If you're passionate about architecture and ready to challenge yourself, NTU provides an incredible environment to explore, learn, and evolve as a designer. The struggles make it much more worthwhile because you get to enjoy overcoming them."