There is ample research on how to facilitate interaction between individuals and/or teams, and that is via meeting rooms, tea kitchens and shared common space.

There is ample research on how to facilitate interaction between individuals and/or teams, and that is via meeting rooms, tea kitchens and shared common space. It is a solved problem. Of course getting a building with such facilities is expensive, you need to spend both for the building itself and for the architect who designs it. Yet management pushes open-plan offices to facilitate communication. It's either out of ignorance, or it's wilful, to save cash.