Alfred Charles Houston was born in Kensington, London, England in 1864 and was was articled to James Edmeston (1823?-1898) in London from 1880 to 1884. He also attended classes at the Architectural Association Schools in London and was awarded the Ashpitel Prize in 1892. He qualified as an architect and was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) that year.
He commenced independent practice as an architect in c.1886 and from c.1893 to c.1921 was in partnership with his brother, John George Lloyd Houston (1857-1929), as Houston & Houston.
His address was given as 8 Upper Phillimore Place, Kensington in 1881; 31 Pelham Road, Fulham, London in 1891; 13 Furnival's Inn, London in 1892; 1 Long Acre, London in 1905; 148 High Street, Guildford, Surrey in 1911; 1 High Holborn, London in 1914; and 11a, Brunswick Place, Hove, Sussex in 1926 and 1929. He died on 11 March 1927
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 1: A-K. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001