CARLO Design plans interiors, conversions and renovations for villas, country houses and apartments in Potsdam, in the Berliner Vorstadt, the Nauener Vorstadt or Babelsberg. We establish in advance what heritage protection and the Brandenburg building code mean for your house, and plan architecture and interior in one team. Our studio is in Berlin Mitte.
Potsdam lies in the state of Brandenburg. The Brandenburg building code and the Brandenburg heritage act apply, and the city’s own building and heritage authorities decide. The state amended its building code in June 2026, and most of the changes take effect on 1 January 2027. We plan to the version that applies when your application is filed.
In Brandenburg, building documents may be submitted by anyone entitled to use the title of architect, which means anyone entered in the register of a German chamber of architects. Design, permit application, interior design and site management therefore stay in one hand in Potsdam too. Charlotte Wiessner founded CARLO Design as an architect in 2015.
Many of Potsdam’s villas date from the 19th and early 20th century, and whole districts are protected ensembles. We first record what is there and obtain consent before any building starts.
The city has adopted heritage ensemble statutes for the Berliner Vorstadt and the Nauener Vorstadt. They protect villas, country houses, gardens and boundary walls insofar as they carry the district’s appearance. We document the building, design from it and file the application with drawings, photos and condition surveys.
How we work as architectsLayout, kitchen, bathrooms, lighting and made-to-measure built-ins, plus furniture and textiles. In an individually listed house the fixtures can be part of the monument; then we plan with what is there.
Interior design at CARLO DesignWe obtain quotes, compare them and run the site under HOAI work stage 8, with weekly meetings, a report and photos. At the end come acceptance, the snag list and handover of all documents.
Construction management at CARLO DesignIn Potsdam’s historic districts the Brandenburg heritage act governs the process.
A house can be on the heritage list itself or lie in a district protected by statute. Under the act a protected ensemble also counts as a monument. What is protected there is the fabric that carries the external appearance.
The act requires consent to repair a monument, to change its fabric or appearance, or to change its use. So even a repair needs it.
Consent is also needed if building work changes the surroundings of a monument. In the Berliner Vorstadt many villas face the Neuer Garten or Babelsberg Park, both part of the UNESCO World Heritage site.
The application needs drawings, documentation, condition surveys, photos and, where needed, expert reports. The authority checks completeness within two weeks.
If the project needs a building permit anyway, it includes the heritage consent. The building authority then decides in consultation with the heritage authority.
Heritage consent lapses after four years and can be extended once by two years. We build that into the schedule.
Then four short questions. We reply within one working day, with no obligation. We speak English, German and Spanish.
Across our two studios, most of our new work comes through recommendations from past clients. 5.0 stars on Google, 5 reviews for our Berlin studio.
"After speaking with them, I knew I didn't need to look elsewhere. Thrilled with the result, highly recommend."
"They gave us excellent advice and ensured smooth implementation with their craftsmen."
"They quickly grasped my taste, found the perfect products, and arranged appointments."
"Tell us about your property, your timeline, what you are hoping for. We will come to you, listen, and present a concept and a realistic cost estimate, before you commit to anything."
We come to you · One project slot remaining for autumn 2026
