Ryan Fortin of Dartmouth has built a welcome addition to the Lloyd Center’s ongoing building construction.

The recent Dartmouth High School graduate designed and constructed interior and exterior walk-off mats for the Welcome Center, which is slated to open sometime in August.

Placed at the entryways to the building, the mats reduce the amount of dirt and pollutants brought in by visitors. As they walk over the mats, dirt and debris comes off their footwear and into a compartment below.

The center is seeking certification through the Living Building Challenge, which requires designs that aimed at supporting the local environment.

Using the walk-off mats, which required wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council for eco-friendly and responsible forestry practices, was a further example of this effort.

Community outreach was another aspect of the overall project. Moniz reached out to Samuel Brodsky, an engineering teacher at Dartmouth High, for some insight.

He immediately had a student in mind. Fortin enjoyed doing engineering, robotics and woodworking at Dartmouth High School and would fit the bill, he said.

With design completed and materials selected, Fortin set to work on construction.

Brodsky provided guidance, Fortin said, but stepped back and let him figure out the process through trial and error. “He gave me some pointers, but he wanted me to learn.’’

Fortin cut the wood to fit the area, with precise measurements that at times had to be reworked to ensure they fit the space perfectly.

“The biggest challenge was the cement floor was not level,’’ Fortin said.

The work, which he completed in a few weeks, served as his capstone project, a final research or creative task that literally caps off a student’s studies.

Elizabeth Moniz, the center’s Education / Outreach Director, gave Fortin high grades for his efforts, describing him as dependable and hard-working.

Fortin will soon head off to the Navy. But, he notes proudly, the end result of his efforts will long remain at the Dartmouth building.

“I think it’s cool to see something you built will stay here no matter how long the building lasts,’’  he said. “It feels good to build something that’s useful not just for myself but for others.’’

The takeaway, he said, was that “enjoying your job affects your work. When you do something you like, you learn from it.’’