[busted]

I've worked in a 2-person office, in a cubicle, and in open office plans of various sizes. I personally prefer the open office format. It makes the team feel more cohesive, it makes me able to jump in to problems that are happening, and it's never stopped me from doing work that requires deep concentration. And if I really wanted to, I could book a small conference room or go to a corner booth somewhere away from my team and work there, but I don't ever feel the need to.

[st3v3r]

Is the team actually more cohesive than if they're in cubes or offices? I've heard this argument, but I've never seen anything to back it up.

[webvictim]

My biggest problem with moving to a corner or meeting room is that I lose my desk and with it, my nice keyboard, mouse and two huge monitors with everything laid out nicely on them. Instead I have to switch to a 13" laptop screen, a chiclet keyboard and a touchpad. That shift is hugely jarring.

[fsloth]

You don't need an open office for the team to work in the same space. A team room is not a gigantic open office. It's a big room with walls. I loved working in a teamroom. I get instant awareness what everyone else is doing in my team - the actual claimed benefit of an open office - with no downsides. An open office has several teams and one is forced to be aware of their doings as well.