The advantage of being colocated in an office is collaboration--being able to work together in close proximity--and community--adhoc gatherings in communal area

The advantage of being colocated in an office is collaboration--being able to work together in close proximity--and community--adhoc gatherings in communal areas. Take out these things to make the workplace safer and I can't see many advantages of being in the office at all. I know that there's a lot of people who can't work effectively at home for many reasons, especially city dwellers with tiny apartments, but I wonder if there's a market for small private offices for them. A open office where you sit in a cubicle surrounded by perspex walls seems the worst of all worlds.