All over the world, ports have always been regarded as dull, dirty and uninteresting, mostly dotted with huge warehouses and giant machinery.

However, at Westport, staff say they go to work in a garden, so proud are they of their "Garden Port".

In fact so proud was one person that he chose to capture an important milestone in his life-his wedding- with the beautiful gardens at Westport as the backdrop.

This has enabled Westport to 'glamourize' the port industry,as its garden are as pretty as pictures.

In an environmentally conscious society, landscaping is a holistic part of infra-structure development.

At Westport the beautifully manicured waterfall gardens and lots of rejuvenating green are interspersed around the perimeter and have their own distinct unique theme.

For example, there are the:

- Bamboo garden in front of the business center, one gets to experience an ambience of soothing stability and tranquility provided by the bamboo garden which lines the facade. It enables a comforting balance of the yin and yang elements, and brings soothing relief while pursuing the day's serious business.

- Zen garden within the covered carpark between the business centre and the Tower Block administration building, who would have thought that so much attention to detail and investment would be given in order to appreciate aesthetics, even in a carpark?

- Japanese garden. This is the latest addition to the numerous garden landscapes which Westport has invested in. Step into the Japanese garden and one is instantly transported to the Land of the Rising Sun, the bamboo trees, the arches, garden lamps and water ponds provide the ambience. The only missing element would be dainty kimono-clad ladies..

- Rock fountains. It is said that the sound of cascading waterfalls provides a unique soothing effect to the mind. It is therefore a welcome thought that at Westport, in spite of the dynamic pace of life and business, one has this comforting feeling of being at one with nature. This is surely a 'boon' to those who have been too caught up with the hustle and bustle of business but can now find time and opportunity to relax and rejuvenate the mind and soul while going about the all important business of the day at Westport.

Through the years, Westport has landscaped some 8ha of vacant land and there are more than 300 varieties of trees and flowering plants, inclusive of three waterfalls.

And over the past year alone, Westport has spent approximately RM 2 million on new landscaping projects, the latest being the contemporary Japanese Garden and a landscaped car park surrounding Westport's Tower Block and Business Centre.

For three consecutive years from 2000, Westport Malaysia has won awards for the best landscaped/decorative buildings in the private sector category in Selangor. To cap it all, it received the award of Distinction in 2000 by the International Real Estate Federation or FIABCI.

No doubt, its garden played an important part in earning it this award as environmental consciousness is one of the criteria necessary for winning the award.