Dedicated in 1998, The Monsanto Center set a new standard for construction and operations that are both cost efficient and have the least possible impact on natural resources.

During the planning process, all suppliers were asked to meet or exceed an extensive list of criteria for environmental responsibility, including limiting and recycling shipping materials. Furnishings chosen for the Center make extensive use of recycled and recyclable materials, such as wood from sustainably managed forests, linoleum made from natural substances, floors inlaid with wood blocks left over from door manufacturing, and rebuilt office furniture. The site was landscaped with low maintenance plants. Paved areas were kept to a minimum to reduce heat gain and covered with low emission concrete. The entire building was designed for exceptional efficiency in energy and lighting systems.

Perhaps the most dramatic feature is the Center's earthquake protection system, designed to safeguard the priceless herbarium and library collections. The Monsanto Center is the first building in Missouri, and one of the few in the eastern U.S., protected from seismic damage by base isolators.

Taken together, these innovations make The Monsanto Center an incomparable home for the Garden's research activities and the physical embodiment of a profound moral determination to protect and sustain our environmental heritage.