Jane and Duane Landry collection

Jane Lorenz was born in San Antonio, Texas on February 12, 1936. In 1952, at the age of 16, she enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin as an Art major. However, that November she attended a lecture in the architecture department by O’Neil Ford, a famed Texan architect and her future employer. Within days of the lecture, Jane had officially transferred to the School of Architecture for the following spring semester. It was then and there that Jane and Duane met and began their lifelong partnership, in every sense of the word. While unaware of it at the time, the Landrys’ enrollment in the UT School of Architecture coincided with a significant shift in pedagogy, led by a group of faculty and administrators known as the "Texas Rangers." Instructors at UT during this time included Bernhard Hoesli, who developed the new curriculum, John Hejduk, Robert Slutzky, and Irwin Rubin. In 1955, Dean Harwell Hamilton Harris left the School of Architecture, and a large group of staff, including teaching assistant Irwin Rubin, were fired during the following turbulent months. Rubin wrote Jane a letter at her internship in Philadelphia encouraging her to transfer to Yale for the remainder of their program to study under Josef Albers. Jane's UT school portfolio was quickly sent to her by her instructors for application. The Landrys began their studies at the Yale Department of Design in fall 1955 (at this time, the Department of Design housed both Art and Architecture). The pair excelled at Yale, taking Freehand Drawing with Josef Albers and Structural Organization with Professor Switzer. However, after auditing a class in the Department of Architecture the Landrys found the students’ work, being entirely of the International Style, “uniformly uninteresting” and decided to transfer once more, finally to the University of Pennsylvania. By the time the two enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania, they were engaged. They were married on September 8, 1956. The University of Pennsylvania architecture program (now housed in the Stuart Weitzman School of Design), like the program at UT, underwent major administrative changes headed by George Holmes Perkins. Jane and Duane studied with Ian McHarg, Edmund Bacon, Harry Sternfeld, and Romaldo Giurgola; while they were not in his studio, they were also influenced by Louis Kahn. After their fall 1956 wedding, they began work on their thesis project. For her thesis, Jane designed a Catholic Church for Panna Maria, Texas. Though they are separate projects, Jane and Duane helped each other with their theses, a practice they would continue for the rest of their careers. Jane graduated in June of 1957, with Duane following suit in February of 1958. Following graduation, Duane enlisted in the Texas National Guard and Jane began her professional career with Reginald Roberts, an architect based in San Antonio, Texas. In 1959, both of the Landrys went to work at O’Neil Ford & Associates (later Ford, Powell & Carson). Four years later, they began their own firm under the name Duane Landry, Architect. Although Jane became licensed in 1966, it wasn't until 10 years later that they changed the firm to Landry & Landry Architects and Planners to include Jane as a named parter. Until then, as a precaution they felt that if her name was part of the firm, they would not be considered for many projects. The firm became well-known for its design of religious and academic buildings, especially on the University of Dallas campus. In 1988 the Landrys were the first married couple to be nominated and named Fellows of the AIA together as one. Over 30 years later in 2020, the Dallas chapter of AIA awarded them both with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Works Cited: “Jane Lorenz Landry.” Accessed December 18, 2025. https://prabook.com/web/jane_lorenz.landry/603990. Williamson, Susan. “A Life Together.” Texas Architect, 5/6 (1998): 30-32.

Duane Eugene Landry was born in Hays, Kansas on June 14, 1933. He began his academic career in 1952 at the University of Texas at Austin where he started as a Pre-Med student. Just like his future wife Jane, he transferred to the School of Architecture for the 1953 spring semester. He was inspired by a dorm peer's course projects. It was then and there that Jane and Duane finally met and began their lifelong partnership, in every sense of the word. While unaware of it at the time, the Landrys’ enrollment in the UT School of Architecture coincided with a significant shift in pedagogy, led by a group of faculty and administrators also known as the "Texas Rangers." Instructors at UT during this time included Bernhard Hoesli, who developed the new curriculum, John Hejduk, Robert Slutzky, and Irwin Rubin. In 1955, Dean Harwell Hamilton Harris left the School of Architecture, and a large group of staff, including teaching assistant Irwin Rubin, were fired during the following turbulent months. Professors John Hejduk, Colin Rowe, and Bernhard Hoesli informed him of the impending faculty changes so he, like Jane, transferred to the Yale Department of Design (at this time, the Department of Design housed both Art and Architecture). The pair excelled at Yale, taking Freehand Drawing with Josef Albers and Structural Organization with Professor Switzer. In this latter class, Duane in particular made an impression by creating a dome out of a flat sheet of paper, a task Switzer deemed impossible. However, after auditing a class in the Department of Architecture, rather than just in Design, the Landrys found the students’ work, being entirely of the International Style, “uniformly uninteresting” and decided to transfer once more, finally to the University of Pennsylvania. By the time the two enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania, they were engaged. They were married on September 8, 1956. The University of Pennsylvania architecture program (now housed in the Stuart Weitzman School of Design), like the program at UT, underwent major administrative changes headed by George Holmes Perkins. Jane and Duane studied with Ian McHarg, Edmund Bacon, Harry Sternfeld, and Romaldo Giurgola; while they were not in his studio, they were also influenced by Louis Kahn. After their fall 1956 wedding, they began work on their thesis project. For his thesis, Duane designed an apartment complex on the San Antonio River. Though they are separate projects, Jane and Duane helped each other with their theses, a practice they would continue for the rest of their careers. Jane graduated in June of 1957, with Duane following suit in February of 1958. In August 1957, Duane enlisted in the Texas National Guard. Duane became licensed in 1963 and he and Jane proceeded to work at O’Neil Ford & Associates (later Ford, Powell & Carson). Four years later, they began their own firm under the name Duane Landry, Architect. In 1976 Jane was recognized formally as a named partner and the firm changed to Landry & Landry Architects and Planners. The firm became well-known for its design of religious and academic buildings, especially on the University of Dallas campus. In 1988 the Landrys were the first married couple to be nominated and named Fellows of the AIA together as one. Over 30 years later in 2020, the Dallas chapter of AIA awarded them both with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Duane was President of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) program at St. Rita Catholic Church in Dallas. He went on to serve as President of the school board at Ursuline Academy, also in Dallas. He enjoyed sailing in the Pacific Northwest on his sailboat, Whisper. Duane passed away on July 26, 2022.

Works Cited: Restland Funeral Home, Cemetery and Crematory. “Duane Eugene Landry, FAIA’s Obituary, Visitation & Funeral Information.” Accessed December 18, 2025. https://www.restlandfuneralhome.com/obituaries/duane-landry/obituary. Williamson, Susan. “A Life Together.” Texas Architect, 5/6 (1998): 30-32.

Landry & Landry Architects and Planners was founded by Jane and Duane Landry in 1976. When Duane Landry became licensed in 1963, he and Jane rented an office space in the Alamo National Bank Building in San Antonio under the name Duane Landry, Architect. Although Jane became licensed in 1966, they did not rush to change the name of their firm as a precaution against discrimination of a woman partner.

In 1959, O'Neil Ford employed Jane and Duane to participate on University of Dallas projects, starting with their new Art Building. In 1963 O'Neil Ford invited Duane to form an association (legally drawn) as Associated Architects on certain designated projects. The Landrys continued their work on campus through the 1986 completion of Chapel of the Incarnation and the Haggerty Science Building.

Much of the Landrys' work focused on design of religious and academic institutions as well as some residences in the Dallas area. Their work at the University of Dallas was particularly well received, and in 2019 its Church of the Incarnation was named a 25-year awardee by the Dallas chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). In 2024 it received the Texas Society of Architects 25 Year Award. Their Cistercian Abbey Church also received the same 25 Year State award in 2022.

Works Cited: Newby, Douglas. “Landry & Landry.” Architecturally Significant Homes. Accessed December 18, 2025. https://dougnewby.com/architect/landry-landry/ Restland Funeral Home, Cemetery and Crematory. “Duane Eugene Landry, FAIA’s Obituary, Visitation & Funeral Information.” Accessed December 18, 2025. https://www.restlandfuneralhome.com/obituaries/duane-landry/obituary. Williamson, Susan. “A Life Together.” Texas Architect, 5/6 (1998): 30-32. https://dougnewby.com/architect/landry-landry/