How REM Limited used pollinators to shape company culture and deepen tenant relationships
What the property team wanted to change
Philip Potts did not want another standard amenity. He wanted the buildings to feel more human, more welcoming, and more connected — to nature and to each other.
The goal was not just tenant programming. It was culture. Bees and a pollinator garden offered a way in.
"They are visible. They are unexpected. They spark conversation. And they give people a reason to gather that is not transactional."
As Philip shared, the bees became the "leveraging factor" — the thing that got people curious enough to participate.
What they put in motion
The first step was installing beehives on-site. But it did not stop there.
Workshops brought tenants together. Honey harvests became shared moments. The management team leaned in fully — so much so that their own office now has bees as well.
They joke that they have become "pet parents." That ownership matters.
Instead of outsourcing engagement, the full REM property team bought in. They attend sessions. They talk about bees, pollinators, and nature with tenants. They use them as a natural way to connect.
What started as hives has grown into something bigger. Together, the team transformed underused rooftop space into a pollinator sanctuary — native plants, habitat zones, a living environment.
And they are not done. The next step is building a greenhouse to grow flowers and potentially food on-site. This is not a one-off activation. It is an evolving space.
What it created
A hospitality-style tenant experience
The bees changed how tenants experience the building. It feels intentional. Cared for. Different from the office next door.
Not louder. Just more thoughtful.
Stronger bonds within the REM team — and with tenants
The program did not just bring tenants together. It brought Philip's own team together.
Caring for something living creates shared responsibility, shared language, and shared pride.
"We are half-joking about being 'pet parents'… but the truth is that ownership is real — and tenants feel it. We all feel like we are part of something bigger. And this aspect was key in deepening our relationship with tenants."
A visible transformation of space
An underused rooftop became a pollinator sanctuary with native planting and habitat zones.
Now they are planning a greenhouse to grow flowers and potentially food. This is not a one-off activation. It is an evolving environment.
Tenants see that progression. Prospects and ownership do too.
Public visibility for ownership
Philip's initiative was recently featured in The Guardian, in a piece about UK employers using beehives to support mental health, community, and connection to nature.
That kind of coverage does not just spotlight bees and their positive effects on wellbeing. It elevates ownership. It showcases the added value REM brings as a management partner. It reinforces their concierge-style approach to tenant experience.
Why this matters for tenant experience
In competitive office markets like London, amenities alone do not differentiate. Experience does.
Pollinators became the starting point for conversations, team building, wellness programming, environmental awareness, and a more concierge-style relationship with tenants.
For Philip and REM, the value is not just the hive. It is what the hive unlocks — a building that feels alive, a management team that feels invested, tenants who feel part of something, and a rooftop that keeps evolving.
