Kammala jumla mai zuwa: An haifi Hovig a Verran a Nord-Trøndelag, Norway. Shi ɗan Johannes Sigurd Hovig ne (1895-1953) da Gudlaug Pauline Taugstad (1900-1969). Hovig ya kammala karatunsa a Cibiyar Fasaha ta Norway a 1946. Ya kasance gine-ginen birni a lokacin sake gina Narvik 1947-1950. Narvik ya lalace a cikin
yaƙi a lokacin 1940 a matsayin wani ɓangare na Yakin Norway na mamayewar Jamus na Norway. A shekara ta 1950 ya koma Oslo kuma ya kafa ofishinsa. A cikin 1956 Hovig ya shiga haɗin gwiwa tare da Christian Norberg-Schulz. Daga 1972 Hovig ya shiga haɗin gwiwa tare da Helge B. Kvernes a Porsgrunn.