I don't know if this is a strange perspective for software engineers or what, but the building doesn't just exist to facilitate the work being done within it.

I don't know if this is a strange perspective for software engineers or what, but the building doesn't just exist to facilitate the work being done within it. Networking, knowledge sharing, consensus building and control are all indispensable to running a business like that. Having a physical shared space is indispensable for them. I'd argue that it's necessary to maintain a company culture at a certain scale as well.