Hovig was born at Verran in Nord-Trøndelag, Norway. He was the son of Johannes Sigurd Hovig (1895-1953) and Gudlaug Pauline Taugstad (1900-1969). Hovig finished his studies at the Norwegian Institute of Technology in 1946. He was city architect during the reconstruction of Narvik 1947-1950. Narvik had been devastated in battle during 1940 as part of the Norwegian Campaign of the German invasion of Norway. In 1950 he moved to Oslo and founded his own office. In 1956 Hovig entered into a partnership with Christian Norberg-Schulz. From 1972 Hovig entered into a partnership with Helge B. Kvernes in Porsgrunn.