I had a professor in Architecture school (what’s up Mabel Wilson!) that, in response to me asking what it felt like to walk around in a building you designed, said “It is a mixed experience for me. I see all the aspects of the design that were not executed perfectly and so the overarching feeling is of seeing all the things you could have done better.” This has been true for me as well, and so the mission is to carry those aspects forward and get it closer to the vision on the next project. It is pretty cool to walk around in a building you designed though. It’s even more cool to have an occupant of that building talk about the things they like about it, when they don’t know you designed it. More on that here.