A 145-year-old architectural firm that specializes in education, health care and urban development projects has opened its first Hartford office to expand its presence in Connecticut and western Massachusetts.

Shepley Bulfinch also has offices in Boston, Houston and Phoenix.

“An office in Hartford gives us the ability to pursue new clients and projects in the region,” CEO Carole Wedge said in a statement. “We have worked in Connecticut and Western Massachusetts for over 45 years for numerous academic and healthcare clients, and we are excited to welcome new leadership to the firm who have long standing experience in the region.”

Shepley Bulfinch was selected in May 2018 by the University of Massachusetts-Amherst to design the first major renovations of its 108,000-square-foot student union building since its completion in 1957. The $55 million project will include a “Main Street” style promenade, media center and new outdoor plaza.

The firm also designed the Harvard Pagliuca Life Lab, a 15,000-square-foot modular building at Harvard Business School that contains coworking space for life science students and companies. The facility was named winner of a 2018  AIA/Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE) Educational Facility Design Award.