El Pueblo is the location of the original 1842 trading post that was the foundation for the City of Pueblo, Colorado. Now considered the heart of the city, the site is home to the El Pueblo History Museum, a recreated period-specific adobe trading post, a public plaza, and the Bill Buckles Pavilion, which covers an operational archaeological dig investigating the original trading post. Combining landscape architecture, preservation architecture and archaeology, Hord Coplan Macht provided a master plan addressing the archaeological collection, education, community engagement, sustainability, and improved site security.
The conceptual site design included a new plaza with regionally and culturally important plant material and site elements, interactive fountains, seating, improved lighting, and a new enclosed pavilion intended to protect the current and future archaeological dig sites and invite public interaction while celebrating Pueblo’s past, present, and future.