FreeAxez’s Gridd System: Adaptive Raised Floors for the Tech-Driven Built Environment

Introduction

In today’s offices, data centers, hospitals, and modern workspaces, technology infrastructure—power, data, cabling—needs to shift rapidly. Traditional building floors can make this hard: installing or relocating cables often involves tearing into ceilings, walls, or disrupting finished floors. FreeAxez’s Gridd® Adaptive Cabling Distribution System is an innovative raised-floor / access floor solution designed to simplify tech infrastructure changes. With low profile raised floor panels, integrated power & data channels, and modular components, Gridd aims to make buildings more flexible, more sustainable, and more responsive to evolving tech demands.

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What Is FreeAxez & The Gridd System

FreeAxez is a company that designs and manufactures raised floor / access floor systems tailored to technology-heavy environments. Key components of the Gridd system include:

• Gridd® Raised Floor: Low-profile raised floor panels (access floor) which sit above the subfloor to provide channels for cables, power, and data. These panels are modular, easy to remove or reconfigure. FreeAxez
• GriddPower®: A modular power distribution system that fits within the channels created by Gridd’s underfloor setup. Instead of relying on exposed cable trays or overhead conduits or core drilling, the power is distributed through integrated channels in the raised floor. FreeAxez
• GriddMobile: A tool/app system for facility managers, IT teams, electricians and maintenance staff, giving visibility into power and data cabling via mobile devices. Helps manage changes, monitor infrastructure, etc. FreeAxez

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Why It’s Useful / Key Advantages

FreeAxez claims several benefits from its Gridd system:

1. Flexibility & adaptability
   Because the raised panels are modular, floors can be re-configured without major demolition. Want to move desks, add outlets, change power/data layout? Gridd makes that simpler. FreeAxez
2. Lower installation disruption
   Traditional cable runs through ceilings, power poles, core drilling under floors etc. are more disruptive and costly. Gridd allows much of that infrastructure to be managed from below the floor, with panels that lift out. FreeAxez
3. Cleaner, more efficient cabling
   Integrated power/data channels under the floor mean less exposed cable, fewer tripping hazards, better aesthetics, easier maintenance. FreeAxez
4. Support for high-performance/building lifecycle / circular design
   The site mentions “shifting from the unsustainable, disposable building model of the past towards more circular practices.” Because infrastructure can be changed, adapted, reused, and reconfigured without tearing up building elements, Gridd supports more sustainable building lifecycles. FreeAxez
5. Specs & sizing
   They offer different base units (e.g. 370mm x 370mm in various depths) and accessories like corner plates, channel plates. BIM/Revit files are available—supporting smoother design integration. FreeAxez

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Use Cases & Contexts

Gridd seems well suited for spaces including:

• Commercial offices with frequent reconfiguration (move-ins, re-layout, ever-changing tech demand). FreeAxez
• Hospitals / medical facilities where cable/data/power infrastructure must adapt for new equipment. FreeAxez
• Computer rooms / server rooms where cables are abundant and flexibility and cooling access are important. FreeAxez
• Renovations where existing floors are present and removing floors/ceilings would be costly. FreeAxez

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Challenges & Things to Consider

While promising, there are some factors that projects will need to watch:

• Cost vs traditional floor: Raised floors and integrated power/data systems cost more upfront than simple slab-based floors, especially if few changes are needed. The savings come later vs in agility and lower rework.
• Height and clearance: Even low-profile raised floors take up vertical space; ceiling heights, thresholds, ADA or fire code constraints may limit how low you can go.
• Load bearing and structural support: Panels must meet strength, fire, electrical safety, and load-bearing codes. Heavy machinery, equipment loads, or vibration demands may need special considerations.
• Maintenance & accessibility: Panels need to be removable, but that also means joint seams, fitting tolerances, and potential creaks or movement risk; wear over time needs good materials and hardware design.
• Power standard compliance: Integrated power systems embedded in floors need to comply with local electrical codes, fire safety, inspection access, etc.

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Broader Implications for Circular Building & Tech Infrastructure

FreeAxez’s approach ties into several larger trends:

• Modular & adaptable architecture: Buildings designed for change rather than static use; interiors & infrastructure expected to evolve.
• Building for technology: As workplaces and buildings become more reliant on data / edge computing / smart systems, integrating cabling & power becomes more critical.
• Sustainability in interior systems: Raised flooring and cabling is part of interiors & under-floor systems, which are often ignored in sustainability planning (material waste, rework, energy inefficiencies). Tools like FreeAxez help bring these parts into view.
• Design integration & BIM workflows: With BIM/Revit files, designers can plan for cable & power paths early; this reduces clashes and late-stage change orders.