This research preliminarily develops a framework based on the existing discourses on the theme of identity in architecture. This framework serves as a tool for analysing the “identity” of existing sites for which restoration is deemed necessary, as is the case for many post-war housing estates. The analysis results indicate areas of improvement, which then guide the redesign of a post-war apartment block. We demonstrate the framework’s application in a case study of a typical late post-war neighbourhood in the suburbs of Haarlem, Netherlands.