QUT student Florian Heise was awarded the 2008 Student Prize for the Advancement of Architecture at the 2008 Australian Institute of Architects National Architecture Awards in Adelaide on Thursday 30 October. The Student Prize encourages specialist leaders in the profession and acknowledges the value of their efforts to advance architecture.

This year's jury members – chair and Institute National President Howard Tanner, Professor Philip Goad, Leigh Shutter and SONA immediate past president Patrick Stein – said they were impressed by the innovation and achievement of prize applicants.

"Recognition goes to Florian for his leadership of student organisations and initiatives and involvement in a diverse range of activities," jury chair Howard Tanner said. "At QUT, Florian effectively represented student interests over a long period of time, introduced a worthy 'peer to peer' program of developing computer-based skills and interfacing with other design disciplines, helped to develop the student society Architects Anonymous, and coordinated the organisation of a major exhibition of student work. "

The jury also congratulated three other students entered for the Student Prize:

Timothy Osborne, of the University of Sydney, noted by one of his referees as an understated and substantial contributor, and who played a strong role in the Sydney University Architecture Society. He organised (and helped gain funding for) three major exhibitions of student work at venues such as the Eveleigh Carriageworks. 

Paul Chee, of the University of Sydney, an enthusiastic and avid supporter of architecture, especially through the Sydney University Architecture Society.  He has supported first year students by helping to establish a mentor program, produced a survival guide titled A Brief Guide to Surviving Your Architecture Degree and organised an exhibition of first year work. He has also encouraged positive interface with other faculties – in particular engineering.

Joti Weyers-Coghlan, of the University of South Australia, who demonstrated leadership through the University of South Australia design/build program and as a volunteer with Emergency Architects.  A referee noted that Joti had been a very well organised head supervisor for Emergency Architects, where he spent 12 months in 2007 working on post-tsunami housing reconstruction in Aceh, Indonesia