The purpose of this analysis is to redefine the term “authenticity” in our existing built environment as a narrative process rather than as a completed original. Our surroundings continuously evolve based on our inhabitation. Consequently, the remaining traces resulting from this inherent adaptation narrate the actions that transpired and the values that inspired them. By understanding authenticity within our surrounding as a continuous process rather than as an absolute original, not only will the various remnants that remain from this process be appreciated, new interventions that reflect present values will be also be encouraged. As a result, the act of ‘applied adaptation’, which encompasses all forms of contemporary interventions on existing sites, should be instructed by the process of inherent adaptation to ensure that a continuous narrative linking the traces of past adaptation and relevant contemporary innovation endures.