With 20 Years of Expertise: Canadian Firm “Urban Design and Ceramics” Expands to Egypt
Cairo, Egypt – 5 July 2026
The Ottawa surface installation firm enters Egypt with a portfolio spanning landmark hospitality, mixed-use, institutional, commercial, and high-rise projects, bringing Canadian precision and execution discipline to large-scale development.
Urban Design and Ceramics, a Canadian tile, ceramic, and marble installation firm, has established a presence in Cairo in the 5th District.
The company, founded in Ottawa by Jean-Francois and Catherine Urbanowicz, brings more than 20 years of combined craftsmanship and project delivery experience across complex Canadian construction environments. Its work includes the Parliament Hill restoration, AC Marriott Hotel, Hard Rock Cafe and Casino Ottawa, the Zibi mixed-use development, Statistics Canada headquarters, Le Nordik Spa, Moxy Hotel, and St. Laurent Mall, among others.
The decision to expand into Egypt follows the country’s sustained and active development landscape across hospitality, residential, mixed-use, commercial, and institutional projects. Urban Design and Ceramics sees a clear fit between Egypt’s construction momentum and the firm’s experience delivering precision surface installation in complex, high-expectation environments.
“Egypt’s construction market is serious, and it’s moving fast. What we saw when we looked at this market was a place where the quality of execution genuinely matters to the people doing the building. That’s the kind of environment we work well in.”
Catherine Urbanowicz
Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer
Urban Design and Ceramics’ Egypt strategy centers on partnership: working alongside local developers, contractors, architects, suppliers, and installation teams to strengthen execution quality on complex projects.
“We are not entering Egypt to compete on volume. We are entering to build trusted partnerships around precision, accountability, and execution quality.”
Catherine Urbanowicz
Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer
Part of that approach includes on-site mentorship and technical coordination, which the founders say has been central to how they operate in Canada as well. Jean-Francois Urbanowicz, who manages project delivery for the firm, is direct about what that means in practice.
“A good finish starts well before the installation crew shows up. The substrate, the sequencing, the coordination between trades, the material choices, all of it feeds into what you end up with. We have built our whole operation around managing those details. That doesn’t change when we cross a border.”
Jean-Francois Urbanowicz
Co-Founder and Senior Project Manager
Urban Design and Ceramics operates as part of The Urban Group, with activity across Canada and Egypt.
Urban Design and Ceramics will mark its Egypt market entry with a formal launch event in Cairo in July 2026, bringing together leaders from development, construction, architecture, manufacturing, supply, and the Canada-Egypt business community.
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ABOUT URBAN DESIGN AND CERAMICS
Urban Design and Ceramics is a Canadian-owned tile, ceramic, marble, and surface installation company founded by Jean-Francois and Catherine Urbanowicz. Based in Ottawa-Gatineau, the company works on large-scale residential, commercial, hospitality, and institutional projects. Its Canadian portfolio includes Parliament Hill, AC Marriott Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, Cafe, and Casino Ottawa, Zibi, Statistics Canada, Le Nordik Spa, Moxy Hotel, and St. Laurent Mall. Urban Design and Ceramics is a member of The Urban Group, with operations in Canada and Egypt.
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