6. The Forest Lake Times _ Scandia man plugs modular home system for middle class5/7/2015 The Forest Lake Tim es | Scandia man plugs modular home system for middle class
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Loesch
Community
Scandia man plugs
modular home system for
middle class
By Cliff Buchan
February 20, 2015 at 7:57 am
Ivan Loesch has never been shy about using his mind to
come up with new ideas.
As a kid growing up on the plains of South Dakota,
Loesch says he was an “inventive kid” who liked to
tinker. Building things became a passion.
He recalls fondly his
construction of a
nine-room house
built with sunflower
stalks at the country
school that he
attended when he
was 10. In the winter,
he would build igloos
from snow blocks.
He’s still the same
today.
Loesch never forgot
those early projects
and he has spent a lifetime using his mind to good
purpose. Now retired after more than 30 years as a
barber and hair stylist in Missouri and South Dakota, the
5/7/2015 The Forest Lake Tim es | Scandia man plugs modular home system for middle class
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78-year-old Scandia resident believes he is on the verge
of launching a housing concept that will be of
significant help to a middle-class still struggling with
achieving the dream of home ownership.
For the past decade, Loesch has been developing
TruMod LLC for a launch. TruMod is a pre-engineered
structurally insulated panel component home that is
designed small in scale with units of equal size that
allow for easy expansion of home size. Loesch has
received a patent on the unfolding aspects of the house
components. Due to final development steps, he did not
want to publicly display a model of the finalized design.
“I had visions of this back in the 1980s,” Loesch said.
“This is something that just kept growing.”
The idea for the modular home project was partly fueled
by Loesch’s interest in pre-planned communities. In
1999 he wrote and published “Unisonia, A Do-Able
Global Village.”
The 220-page book explores the author’s interest in
designing communities that make city life more
organized and less threatening and forming a mutual
enterprise system designed for the protection and
advancement of humankind.
TruMod’s goals
Loesch believes he has struck a sweet chord on many
of the goals of “Unisonia” with the new affordable
housing concept.
“Everyday people will like the idea,” he said.
5/7/2015 The Forest Lake Tim es | Scandia man plugs modular home system for middle class
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TruMod will offer a housing opportunity that offers
flexibility in size and components while providing
owners with a chance to utilize “sweat equity” to
achieve their goal of home ownership. TruMod units are
all designed to 256 square feet, meaning a four-unit
home would span 1024 square feet, and all are
complete with kitchen, bedroom, living room and
bathroom spaces.
Homes can be built with one, two, three or more of the
modular components. A half-unit component is also
available.
Loesch, the company founder and president, believes
the housing design is perfect for small lake lot cabins
and may be a nice fit for Habitat for Humanity projects.
He is also targeting Indian Reservations where improved
housing is in demand, he says.
The design requires a foundation that must meet
building code requirements. Loesch believes the
engineered design of the modular home will meet
building codes. TruMod offers a variety of interior and
exterior finishes. He has secured a patent on the
building system.
Individuals will have options on heating and ventilation
systems. A solar heating system is optional.
How affordable are the units? Loesch says construction
costs are likely to range from $60 to $80 per square
foot, depending on labor and cost of materials.
“Basic housing is what it has to be to be affordable,”
Loesch said.
Next steps
5/7/2015 The Forest Lake Tim es | Scandia man plugs modular home system for middle class
http://forestlaketimes.com/2015/02/20/scandiamanplugsmodularhomesystemformiddleclass/4/4
Loesch has a preliminary agreement in place with a
manufacturer in western Minnesota. The company is
ready to begin building the structurally insulated panels.
But first must come a model unit that will be used to
help stimulate sales.
As 2015 opens, Loesch is exploring options for online
fundraising ventures that can generate the capital to
build the model unit and launch the initial sales efforts.
The crowdfunding effort could involve GoFundMe,
Indiegogo or Kickstarter platforms.
He is also exploring angel investor options if a small
group of individuals can be found that share his dream
for his affordable housing option.
Loesch believes TruMod touches on the “tiny house”
phenomenon of today but offers much more.
“The bottom line is that more families are needing more
affordable homes,” he said. “The reality is that the
situation is critical. The TruMod method through owner
and group building of homes produces a labor cost
savings and the sweat equity investment makes
housing more affordable.”
For more information, Loesch can be contacted at 605-
691-4406.
Filed Under: TruMod