Show HN: Brutalist Concrete Laptop Stand (2024) (sam-burns.com)

Article summary

The author, a fan of brutalist architecture, created a laptop stand with a concrete base, featuring a raw concrete surface texture, a plant pot, and exposed rebar. The stand has a brutalist style overhang, urban decay aesthetic, and deliberate damage to give it a worn look. The author used various techniques, including vibrating the concrete to remove air bubbles and artificially rusting the rebar, to achieve the desired effect. The laptop stand also includes functional features such as USB charge ports and a three-pin plug socket.

Main themes

• Brutalist architecture
• Urban decay aesthetic
• DIY projects
• Concrete crafting
• Industrial design
• Functional art

What commenters say

• The laptop stand's design, while inspired by brutalist architecture, may not accurately represent the movement's principles and intentions.
• Some commenters appreciate the stand's unique aesthetic, while others find it cold, unnatural, and broken, reflecting their mixed experiences with brutalist architecture in real life.
• The use of concrete in the stand's design is seen as both a nod to brutalist architecture and a commentary on the material's tendency to decay and deteriorate over time.
• The stand's functional features, such as USB charge ports and a three-pin plug socket, are seen as a necessary compromise between form and function, highlighting the tension between aesthetic and practical considerations.
• The concept of brutalism is often misunderstood, and its original intention was to provide quick and affordable housing, rather than to create lasting, beautiful structures.
• The stand's design, with its exposed rebar and plant overgrowth, subverts traditional notions of brutalism, which is often associated with monolithic and unyielding structures.
• The author's use of a vibrating tool to remove air bubbles from the concrete is a clever solution, but some commenters question the practicality and safety of the design.
• The stand's aesthetic is seen as a commentary on the relationship between nature and industrial materials, with the plant growing out of the concrete representing a form of reclaiming or rewilding.