Zoë Alessandro Photography & websites
Menu

Professional background

My work as a building inspector.

I worked as a building inspector, inspecting building elements, recording defects and preparing reports and maintenance advice. It taught me to look beyond what is immediately visible and ask why.

Discuss a collaboration Explore my experience

My background

My experience at a glance.

01My work

Building inspector.

I inspected building elements on site, identified defects and recorded what I found.

02Standards in practice

Condition assessment and measurement.

I worked with NEN 2767 for condition assessments and NEN 2580 for residential measurements.

03Documentation

Reports and maintenance advice.

I wrote up the findings and worked on maintenance advice, cost estimates and planning.

04Training

IWI course completed.

I completed the Integraal Woning Inspecteur course. I held the certification for one year; it has since expired.

About this experience

This is my professional background. I am not currently offering building inspections or NEN consultancy.

Built environment / an interactive study

From drawing to detail.

Explore five junctions in this drawing. Each note separates what you can see from what needs further inspection.

BE—01

Envelope study

Illustrative · not to scale

Elevation A / front studyWhole envelope
An illustrative architectural elevationA two-storey gabled house with a standing-seam roof, masonry, recessed windows, a dark-clad extension, a plinth and a downpipe. Five locations connect the whole building to detailed observation notes.
Select a point to look closer
Illustrative · not to scaleLocate → Observe → ContextualiseBE—01 / 05

An original illustration, not a client report or assessment. No site data, measured dimensions or current certification is implied.

Read the complete observation record

All five illustrative notes, in reading order. Observations describe what is shown; they do not establish a defect, cause or severity.

  1. 01

    Roof junction

    Follow the visible junction before interpreting what lies behind it.

    Visible
    The chimney base, adjoining roof plane and exposed junction edge.
    Context needed
    Concealed continuity and water-tightness cannot be established from this elevation.
    Record
    Locate the junction precisely. Keep the first note descriptive and tied to its visual reference.
  2. 02

    Opening & sill

    A frame, its reveal and its sill make sense as one connected detail.

    Visible
    The frame perimeter, recessed reveal and projecting sill.
    Context needed
    Fixings, movement and concealed seals require information beyond this view.
    Record
    Identify the opening and the exact edge before describing what needs closer review.
  3. 03

    Material transition

    Look at the meeting line, not just the surfaces on either side.

    Visible
    The transition from brickwork to the vertically clad extension.
    Context needed
    Material build-up, joint continuity and site conditions remain unknown.
    Record
    Describe the material change and joint location without assuming that the transition is a defect.
  4. 04

    Base & ground

    Read the threshold and plinth in relation to the adjoining ground.

    Visible
    The plinth, entrance step and neighbouring paving.
    Context needed
    Actual levels, concealed layers and moisture exposure need on-site information.
    Record
    Connect the base detail to adjacent work. Add verified levels only when measurements exist.
  5. 05

    Drainage route

    Trace the downpipe to its outlet, while keeping performance an open question.

    Visible
    The lower downpipe, outlet and adjacent drainage grate.
    Context needed
    Flow, capacity and the source of moisture cannot be inferred from appearance alone.
    Record
    Document the visible route and its surroundings. Keep observations separate from conclusions.

What stayed with me

Keep asking why.

Inspection taught me to look beyond what is immediately visible. Why is that defect there? Often, the why is where you find the problem. I carry that into other projects: first try to understand, then decide what to make.

What do I want the photograph to show?

For the BMW M4 study, I kept the car and crop the same, then changed the surroundings. Comparing the three edits makes the effect of each choice visible. That is the kind of question I enjoy working through with an image.

Compare the three edits

Why would someone visit this page?

On this website, someone looking for photographs needs to see the images first. Someone considering a website needs to see how I design and build. I use that distinction to decide what each page explains and where its links lead.

Read about my website

Get in touch

Looking for a colleague or collaborator?

Tell me about the role, team or project. I am happy to discuss how my inspection experience, photography and technical work could fit.

Discuss a collaboration

A short description of the role or project is enough to begin.