At INSPIRED by Stacy, I promise to guide aspiring architects from underrepresented backgrounds—those who’ve felt unseen, underestimated, and driven to create change—to break through barriers, reclaim their confidence, and build careers that reflect their boldest dreams.
Ms. Bourne promotes balanced options on the power of architecture in design, technical expertise, commitment to a better environment and the adoption of codes and regulations, is well received by colleagues and community leaders.
She has consistently been featured as an effective spokesperson, regarding architecture, entrepreneurship, and women’s leadership; by her own example. Her own built work has shown an exemplary capacity to listen to community needs and address them with tropical design solutions throughout the Caribbean.
She began her foundation – Hurricane Havoc – to provide hurricane preparedness standard practices to other hurricane, tornado and flood prone areas to save lives, protect property and empower communities.
Stacy Bourne, FAIA, NOMA is the founding principal of The Bourne Group, LLC (est. 2000), a practice that uses hurricane-resilient design to catalyze social change through community-engaged work. Her experience is directly related to post-disaster recovery—spanning assessments, architecture, and engineering—after Hurricane Maryland in 1995 through Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2018 to present. She leads teams to advance resilient systems, materials, and policies across the Gulf states and Midwest.
Originally from St. Louis, Stacy has spent three decades navigating a dozen major storms in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Her early practice focused on custom homes that leverage site, views, cross-ventilation, and water stewardship (rainwater harvesting, septic systems, leach fields) while mastering steep-terrain and seismic requirements. She later led FEMA-funded roof programs, crafted resilience strategies, contributed to building-code legislation, expanded into commercial and office renovations, and partnered to restore significant historic structures—all aligned with the AIA Framework for Design Excellence.
Stacy’s leadership includes six terms as AIA Virgin Islands president; service on the VI Board of Architects, Engineers & Land Surveyors; presidency of the VI Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities; confirmation as Commissioner, VI Casino Control Commission (2018); and co-chairing the AIA Disaster Assistance Committee.
Nationally, she was the first Black woman to serve on the AIA Board of Directors (2009), chaired the Board Diversity Council, supported the Haiti earthquake recovery effort (2010), and helped shape the AIA Women’s Leadership Summit. She mentors from high school to emerging professionals, sponsors Crit Scholars, and participates in College of Fellows/Young Architect Forum mentorship. Her network helped spark Mattel’s Architect Barbie (2010).
She currently serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Tulane University School of Architecture and Built Environment.
Honors include the AIA Richard Upjohn Medal (2011), SBA Emerging Leader (2019), and Missouri MBDA Women’s Leadership Award (2023). Elevated to FAIA (2012), Stacy holds an M.Arch from Tulane and a Master of Architecture & Urban Design from Washington University in St. Louis.
Ms. Bourne sponsored, lobbied, and furthered the cause of increasing representation, advancing diversity and fostering inclusion in the profession and AIA..
Her leadership was a key element in major events such as Diversity Action Plan, Gateway Commitment, AIA/NOMA Memorendun of Understanding, Women’s Leadership Summits, numerous convention events, and mentorship programs, for the enrichment of diversity in the profession.
Their success, speaks clearly of her power of persuasion and diplomatic demeanor, establishing Ms. Bourne as a leader at the National Level.
Ms. Bourne pioneered the fertile exchange of ideas and experiences with architects of the Caribbean and AIA.
She organized and led visits to working meetings with the Federation of Caribbean Architectural Association in Cuba and Puerto Rico, while fostering the values of the gateway Commitment in the Florida/Caribbean Region, the first and only AIA region demonstrating value by all component Boards’ signing the legendary document.
She also envisioned, sponsored, and led from National, the AIA’s relief efforts for Haiti in the aftermath of their devastating earthquake.
Finally, she established monthly AIA regional leadership meetings, steered fiscal responsibilities and provided for a stronger, healthier and more proactive region.
