I'm quite fond of private offices per engineer, with sets of four offices with doors pointing inward into a hallway. This allows each engineer to easily do a qu

I'm quite fond of private offices per engineer, with sets of four offices with doors pointing inward into a hallway. This allows each engineer to easily do a quick chat with the two across the hall, and a tiny walk brings you into your neighbor's office. As the article points out, private offices are considered more expensive. The question is, how expensive are they? Is it the increased floor space they take up? The cost of the materials for walls and doors? More complex heating and cooling? It's a sad trend indeed; here in Tokyo private offices are almost unheard of, and even back home in the SF Bay Area private offices are quickly going out of fashion. The fact is that, for some engineers, auditory and visual distractions can ruin the focus needed to achieve goals. Open plan and cubicle offices are hell for these engineers.