Speckel Has Evolved – Say Hello to Better Building

After six years of dedicated development, Speckel is formally retiring on the 30th of June 2025. What began as a local platform focused on building material specification with a focus on the building envelope, is now a global mission: Better Building, an all-in-one solution for sustainable design.

We've grown beyond our roots in Melbourne, Australia, to support projects around the world, championing low-carbon, efficient, and resilient built environments that go far beyond compliance.

More than a brand, Better Building reflects our belief that every building can improve, through innovation, accessibility, and impact. Our platform will continue to evolve, addressing diverse global needs while remaining affordable and educational, especially for developing regions.

As we look ahead to the next five years, we invite you to join us on this journey, to empower design, enrich communities, and truly enable Better Buildings for everyone.

What does this mean for you?

Here’s a quick FAQ to walk you through what’s coming and what it means for you.

Why is Speckel updating the platform?

After six years of steady growth, Speckel has become much more than just an app for designing walls, roofs and floors. With hundreds of daily users and thousands more dropping in regularly, we’ve evolved into a full-featured all-in-one sustainable design platform.

We’re now focused on enhancing the user experience, adding powerful new features and ensuring top-notch security. As we step into international markets, we’re also refining our brand to stand out, because while we love the name Speckel’ we’ve learned it can be a bit abstract in some regions.

What features are in the 2025 pipeline?

The 2025 roadmap is another a big one, with plenty of powerful new features on the way. Here’s a sneak peek at what we’re working on:

• Detailed results analysis for energy modelling, giving you deeper insights and more control

• Kiva integration for advanced ground floor calculations

• Expanded workflows, including ASHRAE 90.1 compliance

• Updates to our thermal bridging calculations for even greater accuracy

• Improvements to hygrothermal simulations, helping you model moisture and heat movement more effectively

How long will the update to the platform take?

After months of careful planning, we’re thrilled to unveil a major refresh of the platform, packed with new features, improvements and a fresh new look. To complete the transition, the platform will be in maintenance mode from Friday 27 June to Sunday 29 June. During this time, access will be limited and support may be slower than usual, so we recommend holding off on platform use if possible.

Alongside the above, we’ll continue adding new features that our community of users have requested throughout the rest of the year, with our full feature set expected to land by the end of 2025.

What happens to my existing Plan after 30 June?

All current Plans will transition to our new structure on 30 June and will switch over on your next billing cycle. For example, Essentials becomes Classic and Practice becomes Plus. There’s nothing you need to do, your account will be updated automatically. Read more about the new Plans here.

What features are changing between the old and new Plans?

The key differences are in model size limits and the number of users (seats) each plan includes.

Are Plan prices changing?

Yes. We’re introducing a new low-cost Lite Plan for solo users, while also adjusting prices on our existing Practice (+25%) and Enterprise Plans (+4%) to reflect added features and improvements. We believe our Plans still offer great value. Read More.

What is the new Lite Plan?

Lite is built for small-scale residential projects and low-carbon wall, roof and floor design. It supports buildings up to 350 m² and is ideal for NZ H1 or Spec 44 compliance. You’ll be able to generate reports via our Credit system at 25 credits per whole-building report.

What happens with monthly or annual payments after 30 June?

All ongoing payments will reflect the new Plan structure and pricing. If you’d like to lock in your current annual pricing, you’ll need to submit a written request by 30 June.

Are Plans still locking to a number of seats?

No. Each Pan can expand the number of seats in all new Plans, allowing additional team members to be added to a Plan without the need to upgrade.

Will I lose seats under the new Plans?

Only on the Premium Plan (Current Enterprise Plan). If you want to retain your current seat count, you can upgrade to an annual plan at the current rate, just let us know in writing before 30 June.

When is the last day I can purchase or update an existing Plan?

30 June is the final day for purchasing or updating any existing Plan. From 1 July onwards, only the new Plans will be available. For example, if you’re on a monthly Essentials Plan, your next billing cycle after 30 June will switch you to the Classic Plan.

What’s happening to the Community Plan?

We’re phasing out the Community Plan, as usage has declined over the past two years. You’ll still have access to your Projects until 31 August. After that, you can move to our new Lite Plan, which is designed to support smaller projects at a low cost. At the end of the year, all Community Plans will be deleted from our servers.

What’s changing with Supplier templates and products?

We’ll be reducing Supplier templates where Suppliers opt out of participating on the updated platform. However, verified Supplier Products will remain available as long as they’re kept up to date and reviewed.

Will the Terms & Conditions change with the new Plans?

Yes. All users will be prompted to review and agree to our new combined Platform Terms & Conditions, which consolidate all relevant policies in one place.

What are Flows?

Flows are a major new feature that help you manage your Project more efficiently by linking your Designs with a project management system. This lets you track, review and stay on top of everything throughout your project lifecycle.

Can I use Flows with existing Projects?

Yes, existing Designs within your current Projects can be updated to use Flows. It’s a great way to bring older Projects into the new workflow.

Can I still access On-Demand Training?

Our on-demand courses have been free for the past eight months, but from the 1st July, access will change. You will still be able to access the results of your existing training but all training modules will be updated and superseded during July. Access is now part of our annual plan bundles. Read More.