Since September 2025, we have had the privilege of supporting a very special international project – equipping a dental training lab at the University of Malaya – Fakulti Pergigian in Kuala Lumpur.
121 student and instructor desks, 33 workstations for university staff – and a project that required not only planning and manufacturing but also international coordination and logistics.
Malaysia combines cultural diversity with modern progress – a unique blend that once again made this project a special experience for us.
The university was last equipped with Freuding technical workbenches about 30 years ago. It was a great pleasure for us being able to replace them now with new workbenches.
There is also a very special connection to this project on a personal level: our professional installer, Nunzio Adragna, who assembled the original technical workbenches 30 years ago, was back on the job – three decades later – working on the same project. What a special moment – after 30 years – you don’t experience that every day!
We will take you behind the scenes:
Every successful space planning project begins with listening. Together with our partner Medes (M) Sdn. Bhd., we analyzed the universities’ requirements and translated them step by step into a concrete plan.
PLANNING BEYOND BORDERS
What does it mean to coordinate a project internationally and largely digitally? For our project in Malaysia, a large part of the coordination took place via email and digital communication.
Time zone differences and varying international planning and construction standards made close communication particularly important. For our planner Tobias Streit, this meant: listening carefully, responding flexibly, and maintaining an overview even amid numerous details.
WHERE OUR PLANNING MAKES A DIFFERENCE
For us, good planning means developing solutions that work, are technically feasible and make economic sense – while putting at the center of our focus those people who will eventually work with it every day.
In this case, the universities’ choice fell on an elegant and timeless design: front panels in Royal White, side panels in Anthracite, handles with a stainless steel finish, and a full range of technical features including extraction technology, lighting system and arm rests.
SPACE THAT WORKS
A unique feature of the project: all 121 technical workbenches for students and teachers are located in one single room.
Short distances, clear wayfinding, and efficient workflow organization are essential here. The arrangement of the desks was developed not only with aesthetics in mind but, above all, from the perspective of daily use.
OUR FURNITURE SETS SAIL
The finished furniture had to be delivered safely and on time to Malaysia.
It was a comprehensive international project in which planning, manufacturing, export processing, and logistics had to cooperate seamlessly.
Together with experienced freight forwarding partners and our partner Medes, we coordinated the shipment by sea freight.
35 DEGREES; LONG DAYS;
AND A STRONG TEAM
Thorough preparation is the foundation for efficient assembly.
What helped us particularly on-site, was the excellent preparatory work done by the Medes team. The delivered furniture had already been pre-sorted and largely pre-positioned. This allowed our assembly team to quickly assign them to the intended rooms and locations. Steb by step, the plans on paper became reality.
SETUP AND TRAINING
Over a period of three weeks, we worked together to finish the rooms and assemble the furniture professionally. Despite the heat, long workdays, and mounting time pressure, our installers – Nunzio Adragna, Kajetan Prinz, and Tobias Streit – never lost their enthusiasm for this project. University staff and students were trained on the Freuding technical workbenches and simple assembly tasks. What stands out most in our memory is the team spirit on-site. Together with Medes, even challenging situations were resolved, and the work progressed step by step.
PARTNERSHIP
For over 30 years, Freuding has maintained a successful partnership with Medes (M) Sdn. Bhd. in Kuala Lumpur, which made this project possible. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Hans Schmitter, Adrian Schmitter and the whole Medes-team for their excellent cooperation.
They provided us with outstanding support throughout the entire process – not only with organizational matters and the installation, but also with warm hospitality and excellent meals for our installation crew.
This support was a great help, especially during the long and demanding workdays.
EVEN IN THE PAST
Almost 30 years ago, our technician Nunzio Adragna installed high-quality Freuding furnishings at the University of Malaya – Faculty of Dentistry in Kuala Lumpur.
