The education of architects should enable acquiring knowledge and skills essential to function effectively in an interdisciplinary team in practice dedicated to sustainability. Integrating theoretical and practical knowledge within the course curriculum is one way to accomplish the above. Lecture-based courses in structural design within the Undergraduate Studies of Architecture at the University of Belgrade combine theoretical and practical knowledge within the traditional learning model by applying theoretical knowledge to individual non-contextual problem-solving. In the final year of the study, structural design learning is based on contextual problem-solving in teams in the studio. This paper aims to present the applied approach of a combination of two learning models and to assess, using the survey, the influence of this approach on competence development. It will also point out the key shortcomings and suggestions for improvements from students’ perspectives. A total of 230 final-year undergraduate architecture students participated in the survey. The analysis of the survey showed that the applied approach of early team contextual learning in the field of structural design contributes to competence development but indicated the need for constant improvement of the architectural education methodologies and processes to respond to growing complex requirements in architectural practice.