Lloyd Alter

Design Editor

Lloyd Alter
Treehugger

Expertise

Architecture & Design, Sustainable Design, Interior Design

Education

University of Toronto

Introduction

Lloyd Alter has been an architect, real estate developer, and prefab entrepreneur. He now teaches Sustainable Design at Ryerson School of Interior Design.

 

Experience

Alter has been writing for Treehugger since 2005 about architecture, design, transportation, and planning. He is design editor and was previously managing editor. He has written for MNN since 2015. He has contributed to The Guardian, Corporate Knights Magazine, Azure Magazine, Architectural Record, and Greensource.

He has been a regular speaker or moderator at Passive House conferences in Seattle, Vancouver, New York City, Boston, Vienna, and Munich. He Has also spoken about green building in Vancouver, Toronto, and Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

Prior to writing, Alter was a promoter of tiny homes and prefabricated housing, lecturing on prefab at conferences in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Austin, Texas. He has worked as a real estate developer, building condominiums in Toronto, Canada, and as an architect.

Alter was Chairman of the Toronto Society of Architects, Vice President of the Ontario Association of Architects, and President of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario.

Awards and Publications

  • 2014 USGBC Leadership Award for promotion of green building
  • 2015 Mary Millard Award for contribution to architectural preservation
  • Ontario Renews Award and two Toronto Historical Board commendations for architecture and development work
  • Author of "Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle" (September 2021)

 

Education

Alter has a Bachelor of Architecture, Alpha Rho Chi medal, from the University of Toronto. He was admitted to the Ontario Association of Architects in 1979.

 

Treehugger and People Inc.

Our mission at Treehugger, a People Inc. brand, is to provide advice, clarity, and inspiration for both the eco-savvy and the green living novice. We hope our content gives you the confidence to purchase a better dishwasher, build a green beauty routine, or simply learn more about the world around you. Learn more about us and our editorial process.

Read more from Lloyd Alter

A closed-lid image of a rectangular toilet
The Hot Poop on the Cinderella Incinerating Toilet
Houses cut into the side of a green hill, with a winding road and mountains in the background
Here's the Dirt on a Prefabricated Earth Sheltered Home You Can Buy Online
C. Militaris fungi wired for sound
Mushrooms May Talk to Each Other Using Their Own Fungal Language
Whatever Happened to Jimmy Carter's Solar Panels: The Sequel
Bastion House
How to Understand the Scale of Embodied Carbon
Mazda and an A-Frame
Mazda's Electric Car Gets a Rotary Range Extender
LED Bulbs
US Government to Crank Lightbulb Efficiency Up to 120 Lumens Per Watt
Pickup Truck doing work
The Comeback of Small Cars and Trucks Is Good for Everyone
Moving Parts
'Moving Parts' Exhibit at Toronto's Interior Design Show Spotlights Tackling Climate Through Design
could this be decarbonized?
New Sublime Process Decarbonizes Cement With Low-Carbon Lime
Reverse Vending Machine
England Is Finally Getting a Deposit Return Scheme for Some Bottles
Crowded street in New York
Let's Talk About 'Induced Distance' Instead of 'Induced Demand'
The Black and White Building
London's 'Black and White' Building Is Complete—and It's a Knockout
A forest of glulam
Architects Need to Consider Human Health When Designing Any Structure
Skinny glass towers on Billionaires' Row, New York City
What Really Matters in Multi-Story Design? A New Study Looks at It All
Yet another baby with gas stove and no exhaust hood
America's Gas Stove Freak-Out Is a Culture War, Not a Scientific Disagreement
Cube in park
CAKE Is Going to Build the Cleanest Dirt Bike Ever
Pantheon
Was Roman Concrete Especially Durable or Is Modern Concrete Exceptionally Crappy?
Hummer EV
Heavy Electric Pickups Are a Safety Concern, Says NTSB Head
Seriously people, stop it with the babies and gas stoves on islands.
There's No Gas Stove Ban But Regulations Can Reduce Indoor Air Pollution
Burger with label
Climate Impact Labels on Fast Food Reduce Red Meat Consumption
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg with electric cars
US Agencies Release Blueprint for Decarbonizing Transportation and It's Amazing
Earth's Ozone
Ozone Hole Is Slowly Healing Thanks to the Montreal Protocol
Smart thermostats
Do Smart Thermostats Save Energy? New Research Makes Surprising Findings