Zoetic1: our story and history

What is Zoetic1?

Zoetic1 is the web portal for:

The eco(logical) sound blog
Zoetic Architecture & Design, LLC
Zoetic Arts, LLC
History and profile of founder Michael Hawker

What happened to the old websites?

The "eco(logical) sound" original blog site will soon fully transfer over to "www.zoetic1.com".

The original Zoetic Architecture website at "zoeticarchitecture.com" (of 2003-2012) has now moved to "www.zoetic1.com" and soon will expand to a full site at "www.zoeticarchitecture.co". No "m" at the end.

The original Zoetic Arts website at "zoeticarts.com" (of 2004-2012) has now moved to "www.zoetic1.com" and soon will expand to a full site at "www.zoeticarts.co". No "m" at the end.

An expanded profile, curriculum vitae, and additional work of Michael Hawker will soon expand to a full site at "www.zoeticarchitect.com".

The idea of "zoetic" dates back to 1990

The term "zoetic" came about over several years, dating back to 1990. Michael Hawker developed a bound portfolio book while a student at Washington University in St. Louis that used Greek words for section titles, an homage to classically educated architects.

At the same time, the portfolio expressed a more modern Bauhaus influence from his school. The portfolio included modern graphic techniques, 3D rendering, industrial design and various media.

Michael at the time was also very impressed with Eliel Saarinen's Cranbrook Academy of Art and its interdisciplinary model. It inspired Michael's interest in book design, creating a portfolio as a book and not just a series of plastic enveloped images in a leather case. The portfolio was seen as an exposure of his own life, while weaving together his various interests, such as graphic design and photography.

A Manifesto in 1999

After his 1994 apprenticeship at The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, also known as Taliesin, Michael began studying intently numerous Organic Architects and their work, including those from Europe, India, Italy. All Organic Architects speak the same "language," only speak in different "dialects." These practitioners are all over the world.

Michael began studying and absorbing the architectural "dialects" of Bruce Goff, Fay Jones, William Bernoudy, Nari Gandhi, Paolo Soleri, Alvar Aalto, Gunnar Birkerts, among others. He learned about their lives their work, their process, and how it related to Frank Lloyd Wright's Organic philosophy. It was through this study he discovered the word "zoetic" (coined by Bruno Zevi) in an obscure publication. He also read Zevi's book "Towards an Organic Architecture."

Michael finished his graduate study at Lawrence Technological University, and worked for the Latvian-born and Aalto-inspired Organic Architect Gunnar Birkerts in 1996-1997, residing just a few miles from Cranbrook Academy. This time with Birkerts was highly influential. Michael also worked with Canadian Gold Medalist architect Douglas Cardinal, whose Native American roots heavily influences a unique Organic process and approach. After returning to St. Louis in 1998 with his newfound knowledge, Michael authored his own manifesto called "Towards a Zoetic Architecture" dated 1999, borrowing Zevi's rare term and book phrasing. This manifesto outlined a philosophy that was rooted to fellow Organic Architects, and outlined a roadmap for Michael's own Organic design approach.

By this time, Zevi's phrase was long-forgotten in the architectural world, and not even recalled by Organic practitioners. No one knew the word "zoetic."

Zoetic Architecture & Design

Zoetic companies established in 2003

Naturally, in 2003, when Michael established his own private firm in St. Louis, MO, a registered Missouri LLC to practice architecture, he named it Zoetic Architecture & Design after his manifesto. He originally thought "Living Architecture" with a slogan "an architecture for life" but the terms were already heavily used (mainly print magazines) and a bit egoic. "Zoetic" fit the notion of change, movement, as well reference to living while harkening back to his manifesto. Zoetic Architecture was founded on the premise of providing "natural, organic, and responsive design."

The following year, Michael opened Zoetic Arts to handle art glass commissions, its philsophical roots shared. Between them, well over 150 projects were engaged. By 2006 or so, online dictionaries began listing the word "zoetic" and defined it as "pertaining to life." That same year Michael established Bios Construction to handle construction management services. It was dissolved in 2010, while Zoetic Architecture and Zoetic Arts continued operating.

The original ".com" websites for both Zoetic companies ran from 2003 and 2004 respectively through 2012. When the domain terms expired, they were snatched up by 2013 while Michael pursued full time return to school and other career ventures (unfortunate that happened, but so be it). Zoetic Architecture and Design all but went into hibernation during those years in Salt Lake City, while much of the creative focus was spent in Zoetic Arts projects. The website went out of circulation.

History since 2012

Since that time, however, other "zoetic" companies, websites, and use of the term have established, which is truly a credit to Michael Hawker, his vision, and his original founding of Zoetic Architecture & Design to push it on the web. From music to community planning, "zoetic" now seems to be growing like wildfire. Our use will remain true to its original idea in architecture and art.

A new path started in 2020

With a renewed website in 2019, it contained the work of both Zoetic Architecture and Zoetic Arts, and zoetic1.com became the portal to both.

Under the umbrella of Zoetic Arts another creative outlet began in the summer of 2020: the making of wine. Monte de Romanza, or simply Romanza Wines, were established. Romanza is a boutique nano-winery, but in its first three years has managed to produce nearly 30 distinct wines, from the more traditional white and red grape varieties, to fruit and dessert wines, even a sparkling, an herbal, and a vegetable. Romanza focuses on the creative and artful side of wine, and serves as education to all involved.

In 2023, the Zoetic family of ventures moved to southwest Michigan and anticipates a growth in the creative endeavors.