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Ezbet El-Haggana, in Cairo, is an informal settlement on a desert state-owned land. It is currently surrounded by formal lands, making expansion impossible. Maps of Ezbet El-Haggana of 2006 and 2017 show an enormous urban transformation within the informal land. The purpose of this paper is to document and analyze the residential typologies to trace the urban physical transformation in Ezbet El-Haggana. The study relies on informal discussions, resident-led walks, onsite sketches, observation, photographs, and urban mapping. The analysis of the residential typologies clarifies the reasons behind the dramatic change in the urban fabric. This change emerged through a real-estate investment act, which replaces small one family residences with apartment buildings that accommodate more than forty families each. This act caused two changes in the informal settlement: transformation in the urban fabric from fine-grained to coarse-grained, and increase in the number of families per residential typology. Furthermore, mapping the location and dominance of those residential typologies was conducted, highlighting different urban physical transformation patterns within Ezbet El-Haggana. The urban areas, with proximity to the highway and formal neighboring lands, have witnessed a massive physical transformation. However, the heart is currently experiencing a rapid change in the urban fabric