By Jodi Hausen,Staff Writer

FARMINGTON – Soft-spoken Ryan Moore had a dream – a green dream, and he wasn’t shy about sharing it.

The 2003 University of Maine at Farmington graduate from Cape Elizabeth saw the initiation of that vision at the groundbreaking for the school’s new education center Saturday.

According to Mary Sylvester, director of development for the college, Moore led the campus in a quest to make the center an environmentally friendly building. He taught students, faculty and staff about green architecture.

“Everybody was learning from Ryan,” Sylvester said Thursday. Even Theodora Kalikow, the university’s president, was taking notes at Moore’s presentations, she said.

Sitting in a cafe in Portland on Friday, Moore spoke of his eco-odyssey.

Having returned to UMF after a semester in New Zealand, he wanted to bring the Kiwis’ environmental awareness to the forefront in Maine. An environmental science major, Moore spoke with botany Professor Andrew Barton, who suggested Moore evaluate the campus’ energy-use, waste-removal and recycling practices. This, in turn, led to the project.

As de facto leader, Moore was compelled to seek information from a myriad of sources, including architects, faculty and Bob Lawrence, director of facilities management for the school.

“It really challenged me to do a very professional job,” he said. “I wanted to prove something. I wanted to prove that we could make a building that was really efficient and cost-effective but didn’t need to be super-technical.”

He envisioned a building that would use “appropriately applied technologies, purpose in design and healthy spaces,” he said. “These are not modern ideas. These are things traditional Mainers have always valued. Use what you need and no more,” he said.

Like a well-nurtured plant, Moore’s ideas grew, and the Green Campus Coalition took root at UMF while he was there.

“Everyone got really excited about (the green building) and had great ideas which fed my excitement,” he said.

And Moore’s efforts have paid off in a big way.

The center will be the first LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building in Maine to be designed by a Maine architect. Bestowed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED certification encourages the use of local materials and services and promotes high-performance, energy-efficient design.

The 44,525-square-foot building, designed by Portland’s PDT Architects, will not only be economically and environmentally efficient, but will serve as a model of green design. Its high-tech lecture halls will also model classroom technology use to education majors studying there.

Its eco-friendly features include:

• An orientation on the site at the corner of Lincoln and High streets taking optimal advantage of direct and indirect sunlight.

• A geothermal heating and cooling system.

• Double insulated, solar-coated windows decreasing heat loss in winter and reducing heat gain during warmer months.

• High-performance wall and lighting systems including “daylight harvesting” techniques for interior lighting.

• Use of locally manufactured and recycled building materials.

• Sustainable landscape design.

• A turf eco-roof, providing increased insulation.

The $8.1 million center will be the second-largest building on campus when it is completed in 2007.

Moore, recently back from serving in the Peace Corps, left immediately after ceremonies Saturday to begin his newest venture – working as a faculty adviser and facilitator for the Congressional Youth Leadership Council in Washington. After that, he plans to pursue graduate studies in international environmental policy.

He said his alma mater and experience there have given him confidence.

“What a wonderful gift – to be able to go out in the world and realize I can do it and make this happen. Things that you know in your heart to be of great benefit to people, no matter how grand a scheme, can be possible,” he said.