> My solution would actually be to try something kind of crazy with micro-offices, built in video conferencing, noise absorbing panels and advanced ventilation.

> My solution would actually be to try something kind of crazy with micro-offices, built in video conferencing, noise absorbing panels and advanced ventilation. A few very high-profile companies seem to have pulled this off. Look up pictures of e.g. the Pixar offices. What you find is spaces that aren't standard, closed offices, but they're not open-plan either. Since it's Pixar, they're often weird and artistic - this office is a plastic castle, this office is a den of curios, etc. But common across all the different weirdness is modular spaces with solid walls and soft surfaces. Meaning: no distracting backdrops, no easily-spread germs, no random noises, no feeling of someone standing over your shoulder. And yet the space can be reworked without bringing in teams of movers and tearing out load-bearing walls every time you get a new hire. And sure, "that's just Pixar". You need big budgets and an unusual culture to do that. But... we're talking about Apple. Does anyone really think they can't find a way to put a solid barrier between desks without having to build structurally-fixed offices?