Preserving the Past: Analyzing Structural Damage, Policy Implementation, and Conservation Efforts for 19th-Century Heritage Buildings in Peunayong, Aceh

The conservation of 19th-century heritage shophouses in Peunayong, Banda Aceh, illustrates a global challenge where material deterioration, structural decline, and weak governance intersect. Previous studies often examined these dimensions separately—focusing on architectural authenticity, structural safety, or heritage policy—but rarely in an integrated manner. This study addresses that gap by combining facade condition surveys, non-destructive structural testing, and policy analysis to evaluate the state and future of Peunayong’s historic shophouses. Fieldwork on 45 buildings employed visual documentation, interviews, questionnaires, and Schmidt Hammer and Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) tests. The visual observation was measured using a Likert scale. Results show that 62.3% of shophouses experienced severe facade damage, primarily due to unregulated renovations erasing historical features. Windows, ornaments, and fascia boards were among the most degraded. Structural tests revealed that while some shophouses retained safe load-bearing capacity, others showed critical weaknesses below safety thresholds. Policy analysis highlighted an implementation deficit: despite recognition of Peunayong in urban spatial plans, the buildings remain unregistered as cultural heritage, leaving them unprotected and subject to uncontrolled alterations. Currently, 55.6% retain original facade features, while 44.4% have been modified. By framing conservation as a triple crisis of authenticity loss, structural vulnerability, and policy failure, this study contributes methodological and empirical insights to heritage debates, advocating for enforceable regulations, technical monitoring, and community-supported conservation.