AGROBLOX — The Material

01 / What it is

A wall, grown not extracted.

Agroblox is a family of renewable construction materials — blocks, panels, and natural lime plasters — made from organic plant fiber and mineral lime. Where a conventional wall stacks a concrete block, then adds insulation, then closes it with drywall, a single Agroblox assembly does the work of all three.

Non-structural by design: Agroblox forms the enclosure walls of a building, working with a conventional structural frame rather than replacing it.

Every element is engineered around three things architects ask of a wall — comfort, health, and permanence. The material regulates temperature and humidity, insulates against heat and sound, resists fire, mold, rot and pests, and shields against EMF radiation. It contains no synthetic binders and off-gasses nothing into the room.

And because it is built from plant fiber bound in lime, it is carbon-negative over its life: the fiber stores carbon drawn down while it grew, and the lime slowly re-absorbs CO₂ as it cures, hardening for decades.

Fig. 01

The X20 bio-block — one component of the wall system.

02 / How it’s made

From the field, into the wall.

Agroblox is made in Costa Rica from agricultural by-products that would otherwise be burned. The fiber is cleaned, combined with natural lime and mineral components, formed, and cured — returning to the building site as a wall that keeps storing carbon long after it is finished.

01

Harvest by-product

Cane bagasse, pineapple leaf and rice husk — the residue of the harvest — are collected from local farms instead of being sent up in smoke.

02

Clean & combine

The plant fibers are cleaned and blended with natural lime, volcanic minerals and water into a workable bio-based compound.

03

Form & cure

The compound is formed into blocks and panels and cured. As the lime carbonates it re-absorbs CO₂, growing harder and stronger over time.

04

Finish on site

Walls are levelled with rough plaster and closed with a smooth, pigmented fine plaster — color drawn from natural minerals, with no paint.

03 / What’s inside

Plant fiber, mineral lime.

Agroblox draws on renewable, locally sourced ingredients — each chosen for a specific role in the wall. The individual components are no secret; the recipe and proportions that make them perform together are ours.

Fiber · body

Sugarcane bagasse

The fibrous heart of the material. A by-product of sugar milling that gives the block its bulk and lightness — and locks away the carbon the cane captured as it grew.

Fiber · strength

Hemp

A fast-growing bast fiber that adds tensile strength and helps bind the matrix together, in a single growing season.

Fiber · reinforcement

Pineapple leaf fiber

Long, tough fibers reclaimed from pineapple harvest, reinforcing the material and reducing shrinkage.

Filler · insulation

Rice husk

A silica-rich agricultural residue that lightens the mix and contributes to its thermal and acoustic behavior.

Binder · mineral

Natural lime

The mineral binder that holds it all together. Lime breathes, resists fire and pests, and re-absorbs CO₂ as it cures — getting harder and stronger with age.

Mineral · structure

Volcanic minerals

Volcanic ash and natural mineral deposits round out the compound, drawing on the geology of Costa Rica itself.

The materials are natural, non-toxic and locally sourced. Exact formulation and proportions are proprietary to Agroblox.

04 / The tradition

An old idea, refined.

Natural construction means building with renewable, plant- and mineral-based materials in place of synthetic or carbon-intensive ones. Walls that breathe rather than seal, that regulate humidity, and that make for healthier rooms to live and work in.

It isn’t new. Building with plant fiber and lime is a tradition centuries old — from lime plasters to fiber-reinforced earth walls, people have built this way for a very long time. What is new is the engineering.

Agroblox takes that old, proven pairing of fiber and lime and refines the recipe for modern construction: consistent components, predictable performance, and formats that install with ordinary tools and standard crews. The comfort and honesty of a natural wall, made to contemporary standards.

The tradition of plant fiber and lime is centuries old. Agroblox refines the recipe for how we build now.

The result reads as a conventional building from the outside, with the lightness, quiet and breathability of a bio-based material within — and a carbon story that improves the longer the wall stands.

05 / Specifications

The numbers.

Core dimensions and handling data for the two formed products. Both are non-load-bearing enclosure components — they replace gypsum, sheetrock, durock and insulation in a single step.

X20 Bio-Block

Block

Length (L)	600 mm
Width (W)	300 mm
Height (H)	200 mm
Wall surface per block	0.18 m²

Coverage	≈ 5.5 blocks / m²
Volume	0.03 m³
Dry weight	10 kg
Use	Non-load-bearing enclosure

Bio-Panel

Panel

Length (L)	1000 mm
Height (H)	600 mm
Thickness (W)	50 mm
Wall surface per panel	0.6 m²

Coverage	≈ 1.7 panels / m²
Dry weight	14 kg
Fixing	3″ screws, 50 cm stud spacing
Water	Water-resistant, not water-proof

Rough & Fine Finish

Plaster

Rough Finish — role	Base & leveling coat
Rough Finish — application	Sprayed & trowelled onto wet substrate
Fine Finish — role	Smooth finish coat
Fine Finish — timing	Applied 2–4 weeks after rough coat
Color	Natural mineral pigments — pigmented through, no paint
Substrate	Agroblox blocks & panels, or conventional masonry

06 / Compared

Against the usual wall.

How an Agroblox enclosure compares with a conventional build of concrete block plus drywall and insulation.

	Agroblox	Concrete block	Drywall + insulation
Carbon balance	Net negative — stores CO₂	High embodied CO₂	Moderate embodied CO₂
Layers in one	Structure-fill, insulation & lining in one	Needs added insulation & lining	Lining & insulation only
Insulation	Thermal & acoustic, built in	Low — added separately	Thermal only
Humidity	Breathes & regulates	Sealed	Vapour-sensitive
Fire	Fire resistant	Fire resistant	Varies by board
Pests & mold	Resistant to bugs, mold & rot	Resistant	Prone to mold
EMF	Shields EMF radiation	Limited	None
Health	Non-toxic, no off-gassing	Inert	Possible off-gassing
Handling	Lightweight — 10 kg block	Heavy	Light
Build time	Fewer layers, fewer trades — faster close-in	Multiple wet trades	Fast, but multi-layer
Cost	Competitive per finished m² — one system replaces several	Low material, high assembly cost	Low material, added insulation cost

Comparison is indicative and describes typical conventional assemblies; exact figures depend on the specification.

07 / Benefits

Why it’s worth it.

Stores carbon

Net-negative over its life — plant fiber and curing lime lock away CO₂ for decades.

Thermal & acoustic

Insulates against heat and sound in one layer — less electricity to cool and heat, no separate insulation step.

Regulates humidity

A breathable wall that buffers moisture and temperature, for a steadier, healthier interior.

Fire resistant

Mineral lime gives the wall inherent resistance to fire — it will not burn.

Pest, mold & rot proof

Naturally inhospitable to termites, insects, mold and rot — no chemical treatment needed.

Shields EMF

Provides a barrier against electromagnetic radiation, sound and air pollution.

Non-toxic

No synthetic binders and nothing off-gassing into the room — healthy for people and planet.

Lightweight

Far lighter than concrete block — faster to handle, easier on structure and logistics.

Built for life

A 40+ year lifespan, engineered to grow stronger as the lime continues to cure.

08 / Finishes & color

Color, not paint.

The fine finish is colored with natural mineral pigments, worked through the plaster rather than painted onto it. The result is a depth and softness of color that painted surfaces can’t match — and no film to peel, fade unevenly or repaint.

Because the pigment lives inside the mineral coat rather than on its surface, every tone still reads as a natural material, not a painted one.

Available in a range of natural tones and custom colors, from snow white through the earths and greens to deep midnight grey.

See the Fine Finish palette →

Snow White

Peach Cream

Sun Yellow

Terracotta

Dusty Rose

Sage Fern

Olive Green

Coffee

Sky Blue

Steel Blue

Stone Gray

Natural

Midnight Grey

A selection — custom colors available.

Agroblox rough plaster finish — matte, porous texture — Rough finish. Base coat · matte & porous

Agroblox fine plaster in Steel Blue — smooth, pigmented through — Fine finish, pigmented. Finish coat · Steel Blue

09 / Assurance

Backed in writing.

Agroblox is sold with a voluntary written warranty, complementary to the legal minimum under Costa Rica’s Ley N° 7472.

Materials & performance

Limited lifetime

The core properties — thermal & acoustic insulation, humidity & temperature regulation, fire resistance, pest resistance and CO₂ absorption — are warranted for the life of the building, subject to normal use and maintenance.

Manufacturing defects

Two years

Substantial manufacturing defects that affect performance are covered for two years from installation, with free repair or replacement of the material.

Installation

Six months

When installation is carried out by our authorized team, defects attributable to that installation are covered for six months.

Download the Limited Warranty Certificate (PDF, EN/ES) ↓

Certification and independent testing are in process; we make no third-party certification claims until they are formal. Full terms, exclusions and the claim process are set out in the Agroblox Limited Warranty Certificate supplied with every order. This summary does not limit your legal rights under Ley N° 7472. Talk to our team about a specification →

Start your project

Spec it, price it, build it.

Use our calculator to size and price your wall area in seconds — then download a preliminary quote, or start a conversation with our team about your project.

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Grown from fiber,
bound with lime,
built for life.