The residential housing construction market has seen a tremendous amount of innovation over the past decade thanks to advances in technology, including the use of robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), next-generation framing, 3D construction printing, and new takes on tiny home design and modular home construction. 

One new entry into the market is Liv-Connected. Founded in 2019 by a team of experienced architects and a healthcare expert, Liv-Connected is a new home concept built on wellness and providing accessible and equitable housing solutions.
The concept, which integrates health-related technology into homes, was developed by the founders of DXA Studio, a New York-based architectural firm. Jordan Rogove, co-founder DXA Studio and his father Dr. Herb Rogove, founder of C3O Telemedicine, were thinking up ways to create an intersection between architecture, health, and well-being.

“We spent three years researching and developing new housing technologies and medical integrations,” said Jordan Rogove, Liv-Connected’s co-founder and chief operating officer. Rogove co-founded DXA Studio with Wayne Norbeck, director of business & design strategy, before partnering with him and fellow architect Joe Wheeler, chief innovation officer, professor of architecture at Virginia Tech School of Architecture and Design and leader of the FutureHAUS concept, along with Dr. Herb Rogove, CEO and co-founder, to create Liv-Connected. 

“Our mission was to change the future of home ownership with affordable, well-designed and well-built homes,” said Rogove.

According to Norbeck, the initial projects were focused on multifamily housing and bringing those kinds of unique amenities to condos and rental buildings. The focus was initially on New York City and other markets.

“The idea was to partner up with Joe Wheeler and then create prefabricated modules that can be inserted into these buildings, and then create amenities where you could access a doctor and get quick access to health care,” Norbeck adds.

However, while those ideas were being developed, the state of Texas contacted the firm through a sub-consultant who does disaster relief management across the country. A request for proposals (RFP) had been released for replacement of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailer, specifically for Texas, and to provide housing for up to like 20,000 to 25,000 homes that could be rapidly deployed, especially in disaster situations. 

“So, we entered that RFP, and actually a lot of the concepts from FutureHAUS were integrated into that effort,” Norbeck said. “We were one of the four finalists. That was a few years back, and that resulted in the [initial] prototype. This prototype is located in Lititz, Pennsylvania, and we’ve partnered up with a company called Atomic.”

“They have a division called Atomic Homes,” Norbeck explained. “They are a really interesting partner; their primary business is stage sets and soft goods for live entertainment. And that was perfect for us. Because of that, we needed somebody who could do a project rapidly, break it down, pack it up on a truck, ship it out, and build it on site quickly.”

During the height of the pandemic, as projects were slowing in the live event world, it was a great time to partner with them and kind of evolve all of the thinking on it, Norbeck added.

Styles of homes

Liv-Connected offers two basic home styles that can be custom configured and are adaptable. The Conexus Home and Conexus Home + by Liv-Connected are built with cartridges and flat-pack components that standardize manufacturing and shipping processes while allowing for the pieces to be assembled in a multitude of adjustable configurations.

Via Homes apply the same design concept as Conexus but are structured for people who want to stay more mobile. With wheels and a tow hitch built in, Via lets the homeowner transport the unit to any desired location and easily pack up again when it’s time to see new sights. Models are available in 24-foot and 28-foot lengths. 

Conexus home modules are manufactured using a click system and are shipped flat-packed on a single flat-bed truck trailer, ready to build onsite.

Once the home arrives, Liv-Connected’s installation team can install the home or work with a homeowner’s chosen contractor. 

Learn more at www.liv-connected.com.