Bern Re-Ranks Senior Housing in the Middle of the Pack
In Bern’s new Viererfeld/Mittelfeld neighborhood, the M31 development site—reserved for senior housing—is now set to be developed by the Serena Foundation. This change keeps the goal of affordable housing for seniors on track, but it also highlights how strongly planning regulations and development agencies shape neighborhood development.
The senior housing project in Bern’s Mittelfeld district is being restructured. The Serena Foundation, rather than the Burgergemeinde Bern, will now develop the M31 construction site in the emerging Viererfeld/Mittelfeld neighborhood. The overall goal remains largely unchanged: the plan is still to provide affordable housing for independent living in old age. For what has been Bern’s largest urban development project in recent years, however, this move is more than just a formal reshuffling.
The change highlights how closely social housing projects—both in existing stock and new construction—must align with current planning guidelines. According to available information, the originally envisaged functional and operational connection with the nearby Burgerspittel could not be implemented under current conditions. Instead of suspending the project, a new sponsoring organization will now take over the development.
New construction site, same social mission
The Serena Foundation brings a clear focus on senior care. It is committed to promoting independent living in old age and is the majority shareholder of Concara Holding AG, which oversees both outpatient and inpatient services in Bern. For M31, this provides a sponsoring organization that can more closely integrate housing, care, and neighborhood-based services without directly linking the new building to the Burgerspittel from an organizational standpoint.
This is relevant for neighborhood development because the mixed-use development is intended not only to provide additional housing but also to offer amenities that will function effectively in everyday life over the long term. Senior housing in a new neighborhood is viable only if support services are accessible and social participation is factored into the planning. This is precisely where the opportunity for change lies: less institutional ties in the building concept, and instead a model more strongly oriented toward independent living.
Key Project Remains in Motion
The Viererfeld/Mittelfeld project is one of the largest residential development projects in the city of Bern. Approximately 1,100 apartments for about 3,000 residents are to be built on the site. A substantial portion is reserved for nonprofit housing. In May 2026, the City Council also made the detailed development plan for the neighborhood available for public review. The fact that the organizational structure for construction site M31 is now also being reorganized fits into a project that has been gradually developed and repeatedly adjusted over the years.
It remains to be seen when the relevant authorities will give their final approval for the transfer and how quickly this will result in a concrete project with a program, number of apartments, and operational framework. One thing is already clear today: In Mittelfeld, senior housing is not to be developed as an appendage to a nursing home operation, but rather as an independent component of a new neighborhood.