UNDER CONSTRUCTION

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

FRontyard

BFA thesis | 2025

publication + interactive design

FRONTYARD is a subscription-based zine series housed in an interactive acrylic house. It explores how home is shaped through memory, identity, and the physical things we choose to surround ourselves with. In a digital age where media consumption is fast and fleeting, FRONTYARD reclaims slowness, tactility, and personal storytelling.

Hands holding a fluorescent pink acrylic sheet with a ring on one finger

7 pieces

one form

While traditional discussions on home focus on architecture, interior design, or economic factors, the emotional + psychological significance of homes is often overlooked. As digital consumption grows, the importance of physical media in shaping how we express identity is becoming less important. This zine explores how print media and design can reintroduce the value of tangible, memory-rich materials as tools for reflection, connection + belonging.

FRONTYARD is designed as an interactive experience where storytelling and purposeful design come together to explore the emotional landscape of home. Each month, a new issue documents the living space of one person in a specific location. Through interviews, photography, and collected details that reflect how identity and culture live within domestic space. By engaging with printed narratives and curated objects, readers actively construct their own definition of home. 

Black box with pink tissue paper containing magazines labeled 'FRONTYARD,' a yellow card reading 'WELCOME TO FRONTYARD,' and a pink acrylic model of a house.

GOALs OF FRONTYARD

01

03

investigate the psychological and emotional attachments we form with objects

create a space for physical media to exist meaningfully in a world that prioritizes digital consumption. 

02

explore how memory, identity, and objects contribute to the concept of what makes a home

Before any design work began, I spent several weeks collecting visual and written research, wanting the content and pacing of each zine to feel intentional. The text and imagery needed to speak to FRONYARD’s overall theme while also standing on their own as personal, grounded narratives.

I drew from texts that examined the ways we navigate, personalize, and assign meaning to our environments. Each work emphasized, in its own way, that the things we hold onto are often extensions of ourselves, shaped by memory, routine, and care. These ideas helped shape how I approached both writing and layout: not as decoration or explanation, but as tools to reveal something quiet, specific, and true about a person's home.  

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FRONYARD is heavily inspired by traditions of documentary photography—specifically work that explores the emotional weight of everyday objects and the quiet storytelling found in personal spaces. It extends the kind of visual exploration Peter Menzel began in Material World, where he photographed families around the world with all of their belongings—showing how much you can learn about someone through the things they live with.

Other works take this idea even further by focusing just on objects. Sergei Stroitelev’s portraits of women’s handbags, Mark Menjivar’s refrigerators, and Gabriele Galimberti’s Toy Stories all highlight how what we carry, store, or treasure says something about who we are. These projects shaped the way I approached FRONYARD—as a way to document home through design, print, and the objects that hold meaning.

Portions of this zine are informed by and indebted to the work of artists, photographers, and writers whose perspectives laid the groundwork for these explorations: Daniel Miller, Home Possessions (2001); Roderick J. Lawrence, What Makes a House a Home? (1987); and Clare Cooper Marcus, House as a Mirror of Self (2006)

A family sitting on a lawn in front of a house with a red roof. Farm animals, including cows and pigs, are nearby. The background has lush green vegetation and a mountainous landscape.
Assorted items on black background, including two cloth bags, candles, a wooden pencil, twigs, moss, a lollipop, clothespins, a wooden stick, colorful strings, a safety pin, and small containers with herbs.
Collection of assorted items on black background including a math book, saw, pens, notebook, lipstick, mascara, wallet, and small personal items.
Child standing in a room with toys, wearing a striped shirt and shorts, holding a shield and sword. Toys include toy cars, building blocks, a train set, action figures, stuffed animals, and play tools. A couch with superhero costumes is in the background, with stacks of books nearby.
A house with belongings displayed outside, including clothing, furniture, and household items, during the evening. A family is sitting on the ground, having a meal under a low table. The front yard is full of various personal possessions, including a piano, shelves, and appliances, suggesting a portrayal of family possessions.

Photos: Peter Menzel, Gabriele Galimbert, and Sergei Stroitelev

modular home

visually represents the transparency of
Those who will be featured in the zines

Bright pink translucent model house with the word 'FRONTYARD' on its side.

Personalization through Construction 

Person assembling a bright pink acrylic model house on a white background.
A person wearing rings on their fingers arranging bright pink acrylic sheets on a white surface.
Hands assembling a neon pink and orange transparent plastic house model on a white surface.
Person assembling neon pink acrylic sheets with window cutouts on a white surface.
A translucent neon pink acrylic model of a house with cut-out windows and door on a plain background.
Person assembling a small model with red acrylic panels, featuring window cutouts, on a white background.
Two hands assembling a neon pink acrylic model house with cut-out windows on a white background.
Bright pink translucent plastic model house being assembled, with two adjacent walls in place and a roof panel being positioned above.
A hand with a ring touching a small neon pink translucent house model on a white background.
Hand assembling a neon pink and orange acrylic model house on a white background.

As each zine is added, the structure grows, mirroring the evolving archive the reader builds. 

FRONTYARD is about interaction.

You don’t just flip through pages.

You build, collect, and revisit. 

Hands assembling a neon pink acrylic model house with cut-out windows on a white background.
Stack of translucent orange and pink plastic panels with cutouts, used for building projects. Text on panels reads 'BUILD A HOUSE FROM THE HOMES OF OTHERS' and 'FRONTYARD.'

the first location

Person sitting on the roof edge of a colorful wooden building with ornate trim.

PHILADELPHIA

Meet Arthur, a student living in West Philadelphia.

This project was born in Philadelphia, and It felt right to begin here because of that. Its pace, its textures, its sense of collective care.

Key Themes

Personal Identity + Space

How design choices, routines, and objects reflect personality and lifestyle. 

Cultural Influences

The role of heritage and background in shaping one's living environment. 

Interview-Based Narrative

Conversations with Arthur on how they curate their personal spaces.  

Close-up of a book with an image of Indonesian rendang, a spicy meat dish, on the left page, featuring a bowl of the dish garnished with herbs.

mini zine viusally narrating the signficiance of food + culture within a home

In the second zine, collage became a way to physically represent the layered emotional and physical realities that shape a home. I collaged and scanned images of Arthur, I took both inside and outside of their space, using fragmentation and layering as a tool to explore how identity and environment are deeply interconnected.

The blue collage layers two images— one of Arthur sitting on the front steps, and one of the full building. Capturing both their presence and the broader structure around them. The use of collage reflects how homes are made up of many overlapping experiences, memories, and forms of care. A house isn’t a single image, it’s a layered narrative built piece by piece.

Stylized blue-toned collage showing an old house with columns and a person sitting on the steps, appearing to be vintage or retro.
Abstract image with overlapping colorful rectangles, primarily in yellow and pink hues.
Open magazine with a page featuring an image of colorful row houses labeled "Homes of Philly, 3rd Street / Queens Village" on the left and a tinted photo of a person leaning on a balcony with the caption "Philadelphia, Frontyard" on the right.
Open book featuring collages of Philadelphia row homes with labels, overlaying a faded background image of people lounging on grass. Vertical "Philadelphia" text is on the left page's margin.
Open book with blue-tinted image of a person sitting on a couch, surrounded by text. Two hands with fingers pointing at the edges, against a white background.

By incorporatingtranslucency into both the structure and the pages, the design mimics the experience of navigating personal space. 

Layout design with collage and text on black background. Includes colorful block shapes and words "reflection" and "space" in lowercase letters. Text in small yellow font on the left and right edges.

check out the entire zine

Page with a green and white background, featuring an industrial structure. On the left, the word "INDEX" is vertically placed. There are three text sections in pink with numbers labeled 01 to 03; the sections are titled "the global home," "homes in p
Collage artwork featuring grid of pink blocks with windows and text 'Philadelphia,' alongside a green-hued industrial bridge section, and the words 'INDEX' and 'HOMEBASE.'
Open magazine spread featuring text on home and cultural significance with a pink-tinted illustration of a family on the right page.
Magazine spread featuring an image of pilaf in an ornate dish overlaid on a scenic mountain background labeled 'Azerbaijan', with text about food culture.
Magazine spread featuring Nshima with relish from Zambia and Pastel de Choclo from Chile, with cultural landscapes in the background.
Magazine spread featuring Indonesian and Vietnamese dishes, with a bowl of Rendang on the left and a plate of Bánh xèo on the right, set against cultural backdrops.
Page featuring a bowl of Jamaican ackee and saltfish on a patterned background, with text about food and culture.
Collage of people relaxing on grass in a park with overlay images of historic buildings against a backdrop of trees and cityscape, with bold yellow text "PHILADELPHIA" vertically on the left.
Collage featuring Philadelphia architecture with park background, text and yellow title.
Collage featuring a city park with people relaxing on grass and architectural images of ornate building facades, overlaid with text about Philadelphia homes.
Magazine page featuring an article titled 'Homes of Philly' with text and images of Philadelphia rowhouses. Left side displays colorful houses at '3rd Street / Queens Village.' Right side shows abstract, multi-colored architectural illustration. Back
Split image with blue and orange tinted photos of architectural elements. Left side features text and a house roof with blue tint. Right side displays a person leaning on a balcony with orange tint. Both sections show ornate building details.
Collage artwork with blue-toned images of a house entrance, featuring columns and a porch. Overlay of geometric shapes adds an abstract effect.
Magazine spread with the word "ARTHUR" on the left page, showcasing text about location, occupation, cost of rent, and future goals. The right page features an abstract art piece with overlapping pink and orange geometric shapes.
Dual-page spread featuring a graphic and a red-toned photograph. Left page shows the name 'Arthur' with text about personal details like location and rent. Right page displays a person lying on an unmade bed in a room with posters on the wall, tinted
Magazine spread featuring an article titled "Reflection: Philadelphia Within Your Home" in stylized text with multiple colorful abstract images and numerous text blocks on a dark background.
A blue-toned image of a person sitting on a porch with text overlay: "Home is a feeling of familiarity and relaxation. It can be any place, not necessarily my current residence." Background includes architectural details like bricks and a cushioned c
Blue-tinted image of a person sitting on a couch next to a window, with an upside-down text overlay about the concept of home and memory.
Magazine spread featuring a red cooking pot and an interview with highlighted text on the left page. The red pot, positioned on the right page, is centered with handles. The text includes questions and answers about cooking and home life experiences.
Magazine page titled 'Favorite Object in Arthur's Home' features a collection of items. Objects include a Le Creuset Dutch oven, a plush toy resembling a famous animated character, a DJ controller, a cologne bottle, a game console controller, an orna
Magazine page layout with four blue-tinted images in a grid format, each depicting different scenes including a person sitting indoors, a bicycle in storage, a residential building exterior, and a person sitting outside near a porch. Text accompanies
Collage of four images on a magazine page showing a person in various settings, including sitting on a couch, standing with a bicycle, lying on a rug, and working at a desk in a home interior. The images use blue and orange color overlays.
Abstract artwork with three pink-framed images on a blue grid background, each featuring different objects, such as a bottle, ladder, and shelves. Text "LOST + FOUND" is visible at the bottom.
Magazine spread featuring a wooden rolling cart with kitchen items and a small shelf, overlaid on a map background with text "496 South 42nd Street."
Artistic collage featuring two stylized silhouettes, one pink and one blue, against a blue halftone background on the left and black background on the right. Includes a yellow text block titled 'Why Should You Separate Yourself from Your Home?' discu
Artistic collage with blue and pink tones, featuring a pixelated silhouette of a person on the left. On the right, there's a yellow text block discussing separation from one's home. The background has abstract and textured elements, with the word "Co
Magazine spread with pink background, bold vertical text 'CREDITS' on the left side. Right side shows faint flower outlines. Small text credits design, photography, and writing to Sasha Pegosyan.

the manual

Introductory zine that covers
the main themes of frontyard

Open book page displaying a collection of photographed objects, each labeled with a number and location. The page is titled 'Artifacts of Memory' and includes text boxes explaining the significance of these objects as memories. Items include toys, a book, a typewriter, and various other items, each associated with a person's name and city.

The manual’s purpose lies in the conversation around the emotional and psychological connection we have to a space. Every design choice in FRONTYARD is rooted in tactility and feeling.

A deliberate use of CMYK anchors the project in the tradition of physical media, while the mix of textured, translucent, and heavy-weight papers invites touch, memory, and movement. Short sheets, acetate overlays, and clipped inserts create a physical rhythm that mirrors how homes accumulate meaning through layers of experience. 

Close-up of a note card on a book. The card has white text with some words highlighted in pink, discussing perspective on personal and others' belongings.
Text on a yellow background reads: "The strongest imprint left on a home is from its inhabitants". Surrounding images show abstract blue shapes.
Scrapbook page with pink-tinted photos, text titled "Family + Belonging," and cut-out silhouettes.
Overhead view of various household and garden items arranged on a lawn, including a green car, pool with a person inside, electronics, furniture, and outdoor equipment.

cover consists of two sheets of vellum

Abstract artwork with a textured, pixelated pattern in green and blue hues, featuring a central white circle and yellow text at the top that reads "Frontyard" and the bottom, "What makes a house a home."

layer 01

Collage of various household items, including appliances, furniture, and small everyday objects like containers, tools, and decor.

layer 02

Cover of 'Frontyard: The Manual', featuring a small circular image of a person lying on a grassy lawn, with text 'what makes a house a home' at the bottom.

layer 03

check out the entire zine

An index page design with pink background featuring aerial imagery of suburban homes. The left side reads "INDEX" vertically. The right side has text sections labeled 01, 02, and 03 in yellow boxes, discussing themes such as people, things, and corne
A pink-toned image of a stylized house pattern. The left page has the word 'INDEX' vertically and 'THE MANUAL' at the bottom. The right side features a pixelated aerial view of houses and trees. A blue grid of window designs is in the center with the
Open magazine spread featuring an article titled 'What Makes a Home' on the left with text and a pink speech bubble graphic on the right asking 'What does your home say about you?' over a spiral notepad background.
An open magazine spread. The left page contains an excerpt discussing the perception of one's own belongings versus others'. Pink and white bold text reads: 'Someone else's stuff is actually shit. Whereas your own shit isn't shit at all it's stuff.'
Graphic featuring the word 'PEOPLE' vertically on a yellow left half with text underneath, and a grassy field on the right half with silhouettes of various people containing text passages.
Magazine spread featuring silhouettes of people on a green hill overlaid with text. The left side has yellow cutouts of figures and "PEOPLE" written vertically. The right side contains a block of text about the emotional value of people in homes.
A double-page spread from a magazine, featuring text on "Family + Belonging" on the left page and a vintage family photo on the right. The left page has pink overlay text and a small pink-toned photo of people. The right page shows a sepia-toned fami
Collage of vintage photos with pink tones and text overlays, featuring a family, silhouette cutouts, and handwritten notes. Yellow text boxes and a paperclip add visual interest.
Artistic collage featuring a cat behind pink bars, a yellow overlay with text saying "THE STRONGEST IMPRINT LEFT ON A HOME IS FROM ITS INHABITANTS," and abstract blue shapes.
Magazine spread with text about solidarity and three blue-tinted photos, including a cooking pot and dolls.
Magazine spread with "THINGS" in large text on the left. Right side shows a collage of various small objects in a box, with a blurred nature background. Clouds and sky theme is present.
Magazine page titled 'The Junk Drawer' featuring text about thoughts on drawers and their significance, with a faded forest image background.
Collage of various everyday items including a face mask, smiley face badge, headphones, USB cable, stapler, ruler, scissors, batteries, gauze pad, pen, glue stick, pocket knife, lanyard, and a TV remote control on a blue background.
A magazine spread titled 'Artifacts of Memory' displaying collected items and stories. It features photos of various objects such as toys, books, and gadgets with accompanying text and descriptions from contributors. The background is blue with some
Magazine spread featuring various vintage and nostalgic items with descriptions and names.
Magazine layout featuring the word 'CORNERS' vertically on the left. To the right, multiple pink window-like shapes are arranged on a black background. Text below discusses the significance of rooms in shaping lives. Section labeled '03' mentions kit
Open magazine spread with abstract pink letters and a black-framed image of various photos and drawings on a wall or bulletin board, resembling a collage.
Magazine spread featuring a list on the left and an image of a refrigerator on the right. The background has large pink letters. May 2015 is noted at the bottom right.
Open book spread featuring a collage with lists and images. The background has pink letters scattered randomly. The left page shows text descriptions of items like 'American flag' and 'leftovers.' The right page lists a sleep schedule and contains a
Magazine spread with pink letters on white background, featuring a central black rectangle displaying shelves of food items in a refrigerator. Text on the left lists various food contents and household information, such as 'wakes up at 4AM to cook br
Open magazine spread showing a refrigerator filled with food, surrounded by pink letters. The text includes various foods like fresh cilantro, yogurt, and frozen pizza, labeled as contents for an Italian-Puerto Rican family reunion. Background has de
Open magazine spread with black and white refrigerator coil photo on one page; pink scattered letters on a textured white background across both pages.
An open book with a black background and pink illustration on the right page. The left page has green text "THE MANUAL," "SECTION 4," and the page number, "34." The right page, also with a black background, features a pink medicine cabinet illustrati
Graphic with a folded design featuring a pink illustration of a bathroom cabinet with various toiletries. Surrounding text includes sections labeled "The Manual," "Section A," and "Contents." The bottom text reads: "The bathroom is a space of invisib
Magazine cover with yellow and blue background, the word 'PEOPLE' on the left, and silhouettes of people cut out on the right side with text visible through them. Includes text about family, belonging, and space.
Fridge graph showing food items like kale, cheese container, orange juice, mysterious greens, cabbage, baby carrots, and cucumbers with humorous labels.

challenges

Bridging emotional depth with engaging design

Making sure the stories resonate while still creating layouts that draw the reader in.

Crafting interaction that feels natural

Encouraging readers to build their own version of “home” without making the experience feel gimmicky.

Printing is a pain

Navigating the technical and financial frustrations of production, and still loving the process.

insights

people crave the tactile

Physical media hasn’t lost its charm. it’s just harder to keep alive in a culture built around convenience.

The things we keep speak louder than we realize

Everyday objects quietly reflect our histories, habits, and hopes.

We’re curious about others, but protective of ourselves

People love peeking into others’ homes, yet often hesitate to reveal their own

Frontyard box with house-shaped templates, magazines, and welcome card

This project positions print media and collectibles as vessels for memory and change. Through a blend of design, storytelling, and interactive experiences, the zine collection traces the evolving nature of home — a place continually rewritten by the people, objects, and memories that fill it.

Close-up of a blue page with a yellow paperclip at the top, featuring text "PHILADELPHIA," "ISSUE 01," and "writing, design and photography done by sasha pogosian."