It's a little worse than open space. Imagine that your office is a conference room with glass walls, and many/most people try to get work done in the lunch area

It's a little worse than open space. Imagine that your office is a conference room with glass walls, and many/most people try to get work done in the lunch area. That commons is a fun space, and easy to plop down in, but not super-conducive to productivity. On the plus side, some vendors come along with free beignets if you'll just listen to their pitch.