T.J. Thoraldson recalls the day the home was placed on its foundation: “It was about 10 degrees below zero, and two semi-trucks were parked on our street with our finished home in three pieces, ready to be lifted on to the foundation by a crane. It was really exciting to see the house 50 feet in the air before it was slowly lowered on to the basement foundation.”
He said it was a shock for the neighbors “who left in the morning with an empty lot to come home from work with a two story house in place.”
For most people, prefab construction is an unexplored domain. But the industry is growing in popularity—particularly, as the “green” movement, sweeps across a multitude of trades. Green is in, which means, prefabs are in, too.
Thoraldson and Vladimir Vukojevic, from the Minneapolis area, own a B-Line Medium 003 from Hive Modular, and they have plenty of good things to say about prefabs and, particularly, Hive Modular.
“The first time we walked in the house we noticed there were even light bulbs in all the fixtures,” Thoraldson said.
After researching prefab companies online, Thoraldson and Vukojevic discovered Hive Modular and headed to a local home and garden show to meet the Hive guys.
From there, they set up a meeting and decided to move forward.
Hive Modular offers lines of modular homes made to fit anyone’s needs. They can be small or large, finished traditionally or in a modern style, with flat or pitched roofs. According to Hive Modular’s website, “A Hive home is an eminently practical, somewhat whimsical, always functional, affordable expression of how you want to live.”
Paul Stankey, co-founder of Hive Modular and project lead on the Thoraldson/Vukojevic B-Line, said three things make a Hive home special, “overall value, design, and innovation.”
“We have a vast amount of residential architectural experience, designing anything from historically accurate Greek revival homes to innovative modern homes,” he said.
Stankey mentions a few rewards of using factory-built construction; including tighter tolerances, and that none of the materials are exposed to the weather—resulting in a superior final product in regards to rot and indoor air quality. Prefab homes are also made quickly and efficiently.
The Thoraldson/Vukojevic B-Line was manufactured in a factory, shipped to their city lot, and placed on a newly-prepared foundation. Hive Modular is a Minneapolis-based company, so shipping was easy, but the company is fully capable of serving the contiguous United States and into Canada.
Thoraldson and Vukojevic appreciate the openness of their home as well as its many windows--which provide privacy while welcoming in natural light no matter what time of year. They have a rooftop deck over the kitchen, so it is no surprise that their home has become a place for many family and friend gatherings.
They live in a traditional neighborhood with most homes built in the early 1900’s, so how exactly does their modern Hive fit in?
“Most of the feedback has been very positive,” Thoraldson said. “One neighbor said, ‘I don’t like modern homes but I love your house.’ I think that was the ultimate affirmation that we fit in.”
Stankey said Thoraldson and Vukojevic’s approach to their home was similar to Hive’s approach. “Sympathetic to the architecture; their landscaping was a nice added complement,” he said. “The energy we put in was matched by them.”
Learn more at: www.HiveModular.com
Friends Read Free