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• Two types of beet-pulp/starch bricks are investigated: full and hollowed bricks. • The preparation of the mixture and bricks manufacturing are described in details. • The microstructure of the mixture constituents are described and analyzed. • The drying kinetics of the bricks are compared and predicted via mathematical models. • The mechanical behavior of the bricks is studied via compressive tests on each type. Buildings account for a large share of the primary energy and materials use in Europe. Therefore, the EU has set several energy and materials targets for the built environment and other sectors. Novel low-carbon materials can play a major role in the transition towards meeting those targets. Moreover, agriculture produces by- or waste products that could be used as constituent of innovative agro-materials for construction. Recently, beet pulp based-material is being investigated on the material scale and promising results are pointed out regarding its interesting mechanical, hygrothermal and acoustical properties for building insulation use. In this context, the paper aims to study experimentally two types of beet-pulp starch composites: whole bricks and hollowed bricks. The manufacturing of the two types of bricks is detailed. A comparative study is then achieved regarding the drying kinetics, mechanical properties as well as internal structure composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]