[rohall]

For me, it's not necessarily the frequency of random conversation/noise/etc, but the lingering feeling that you could be interrupted at any time. That idea keeps me from concentrating and working to my full potential. A single day working from home might equal 2-3 days of productivity at the office (provided you can seclude yourself at home).

Glad to know I'm not the only one struggling with this.

[JohnBooty]

  For me, it's not necessarily the frequency of random
  conversation/noise/etc, but the lingering feeling that
  you could be interrupted at any time. That idea keeps me 
  from concentrating and working to my full potential.

Yes, this! Also, I hate to admit it, but I haaaate the idea that somebody could walk up from behind me while I'm deep in concentration.

I don't know why. I am not anxious or paranoid in general. I don't fear people walking up behind me when I'm sitting and relaxing, or standing and chatting, or whatever.

It must be some primal thing. My brain must know that if I'm completely engrossed in writing code (as opposed to casually sitting around) then I'm completely defenseless as well, and thus prevents me from full concentration.

[zentiggr]

I'm currently working in a support position for a relatively large building, both floors of which are almost exclusively cubes except manager's single desk offices.

My area is a total of three cubes of space, all of which is open to the walkway. Interruptions are de facto day-to-day existence. On the other hand, I don't often do much that's truly put-on-blinders-and-earmuffs, so it doesn't seem as draining.

I would still like to have an enclosed space with a door that the desk can face, instead of having people walk up behind me all day.

[ds9]

Affirming both your experience and the parent poster's.

The worst place I worked, in terms of these factors, had cubicles with an open side behind the employee, all kinds of employees side by side, and a high-traffic aisle on the open side of the row of cubes.

So, you're trying to ponder some data structure or where to put a method, and people from different departments are holding loud conversations in the aisles, rapping on steel columns as they walk by, letting their phones blare obnoxious ringtones at top volume, holding speakerphone meetings in their cubes - then a co-worker walks up quietly behind you, pops a can-top, and when you jump, laughs and says "oh did I wake you up". Soon you're so frazzled that you can't focus on anything, just being on edge all the time wondering how long you have until the next startling interruption.

And the managers can't be convinced that this has anything to do with productivity. Anything said about it is interpreted as whining about trivial details, and gets an answer like "everyone has the same conditions, maybe you should work somewhere else".

Pretty soon I did. And that organization still has no clue.