[neoterics]

Those are the buzz words they use - "collaboration", "energy" etc. but to be honest has there ever been a study done to show if that is indeed the case? Also, I see no reason why those can't be achieved with high walled cube sections.

Our whole floor is open, we have different departments, and even then I mainly see only a single group talking/collaborating, it's not like suddenly the lawyers are more social and are breaking their cliques and interacting with the marketing teams.

With the last sentence, I am going to assume you are more outgoing and extroverted, because a noise-cancelling headphone will not do much to reduce the external stimuli that I'm receiving from my other senses.

I guess there is a certain level of coziness, safety associated when the world is not able to look at me and vice-versa and it may be hard to explain, but it is vital for me to focus 100%, and I'm sure a lot of people towards the introversion end of the spectrum feel that way.